I’ve never sought out readers here; I even clicked a box to keep this website from popping up when anyone googles it. You know that I started writing it only as a way to keep friends in the loop with where we were.
So, I don’t have a lot of readers. I dunno, maybe 50 people look at this blog each week? And I know nearly all of them because at some point they each say something to me via facebook or email or in response to that weekly email I send out. It’s an intimate correspondence.
God forbid I face the prospect of strangers reading this blog. I freak out. Recently, I was worried some stranger was downright studying it, until I found out my friend Whit is reading it again from the beginning, as one long story. More power to you Whit; when I see the names of posts you’ve clicked on, I don’t even recognize some of them.
The reason I’ve been checking this blog’s stats with my stranger radar on is that an article was about to be published with the URL in it. My high school’s alumni magazine has now published that article, with my consent, which has me wondering what the heck I’ve gotten myself into.
This is the online version of the article. Print will come out in a few weeks and will look roughly like this.
Now, maybe very few people read that magazine, and fewer will read that article, and very very few will click on the link. Of those, an infinitesimal might poke around in the blog and then have something to say about my unprofessional design. My many typos. My personal revelations about family members whose friends may not be pleased. Egads.
So, once more, I’ve cleaned up my Wish You Were There page and reread my About Me section and tried to see this as an outsider might. I’ve found entries I’m happy with (how did I write that?) but mostly stuff a stranger would be uninterested in, so maybe I’m safe.
The deal with the creepy photos here is they’re from our new campsite on the shore at Corpus Christi. We’re just a little north of the National Seashore where we were last, but man is this beach totally different, lousy even. Cars drive on it wily nilly so you don’t know where to walk without getting hit; power lines stretch down it (that’s even a thing?), and there’s a mysterious building with no access to it from the land. What is even up with this place? And why are we here again?
We’re here because I needed electricity and a shower, frankly. We have the capacity for a ton of solar power, but it turns out you need the sun for that. So here we are in this crappy parking lot with no view of the weird beach, just a view of the dumpsters.
Which is a darkly funny reminder of our first-ever campground, where my Dumpster Report was so fun to write. So, a bit of full-circle thinking here, wondering about Whit’s opinion of the story as a whole (so far), wondering if strangers are reading this, wondering whether I should go back and edit previous posts.
Jeez Louise, no on that last one. I just skimmed these, below, and am happy to leave this as the stream-of-consciousness-type writing I chose from the beginning. If you’ve been here from the beginning, it’s a true pleasure to share my traveling life with someone, and if you’re new, um, look over there at that dumpster!
I’m relatively new here but am enjoying your adventures immensely.
From my couch. With an electrically lit lamp. After I shower…
😈
You’ve got this easy-going way of commenting that I hope to get from reading more blogs and getting to know your community. Awesome.
Commenting is the best part of blogging to me. It’s where you really get to know someone…
😉
I’m really appreciating learning this stuff. My first ten comments to @MarkmyWords were nothing but gibberish because I kept losing cell signal. I have territory to make up, here.
I’m new as well, but I’m going to be a regular now that I’ve added your blog to my Feedly. Your life is intriguing to me, so I may go back and read older posts to catch up. 🖤
I’m new to the blogging community and don’t even know what a Feedly is – but if it gives me easier access to your blog and the few I’m finding all of a sudden, I’m in.
Google used to do Reader which aggregated all your blogs and it was simple and straightforward and made keeping up a breeze, so of course they got rid of it just as blogs were exploding in popularity. My blog reading took a dive and never really recovered. 🤷🏻♀️
You’re so ahead of me here – I used to read yours, and maybe that was it? The Bloggess, I guess. I use my Jetpack app but it’s not fun.
I remember the dumpsters! I guess I’ll be able to say I knew you back before you were popular
lol! You knew me back before I started sucking because all I could write about was being afraid of readers. 😁
So much to unpack here – first I can appreciate the apprehension. I felt that way about public speaking for a long time. But after a while I found my own attitudes about other speakers had become kinder, once I started, and the flip side of that is only other speakers’ opinions might be worth my attention. So only other bloggers’ opinions might be worth yours! A small community. And second, I can’t imagine anyone reading your blog and not enjoying it, for your natural curiosity of the world around us, from geography to wildlife to history to people, and for your introspective style. But if you must care about others opinions, just care about those you count as close friends. If you are like the rest of us, there aren’t too many from high school in that category. I am sure the opinions of your friends will be high indeed! For everyone else – not worth your consideration.
I remember you saying that about having trouble at first with public speaking, which I find so odd because you’re very confident and authoritative seeming. I love, “just care about those you count as close friends.” Good advice.
Funny how your new readers are my old readers, ha! See? It really is one big community. 🙂
You were not even exaggerating one bit there, Mr. Mark My Words.
Hahaha! I’m a stranger follower (and very strange 🙂 ) – came here via the link on Swinged Cat (don’t know Mark either) Actually I’m a pretty harmless 60y old female – and I live in London, UK. Enjoying reading about your adventures – and that photo of the beach and the power lines is beautiful
Welcome Stranger Follower! I’m looking forward to learning about your strangeness, too.
Heyya, Shelly. Loved the great article about you and Tracy in the spark. Sounds like you’re doing really well. Best, Keith
Heyya Keith! It’s fabulous to hear from you, although I’d love to hear about you. I’ll ping Karen.