December 3, 2010
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Life On Blogger’s Hiatus
I just went over to my “Facebook” account from a “friend request”. I think I had over a dozen friend requests, mostly from Xangans, and most from Xangans I hardly “know”, but who share other “friendships” here and on FB.
I wrote an “update” for my FB page. I had to keep editing it because they limit the “updates” to 420 characters, and I’m fairly verbose. I hate limits on anything. One of the reasons I don’t use sites like FB or Twitter and why I never liked Xanga pulse is the limit on characters. I can’t be put in any box when it comes to freedom of expression.
My FB status: ”10 years ago I was really into online life Now that sites like FB are popular amongst almost everybody, my blog & personal website are 10 years old, I don’t even feel like using the computer much anymore. I hardly update the blog, haven’t updated my site in over a year, and am never on here.Besides work, the only time …I’m online is to read the L.A.Times. I wonder if I’ll ever be an online presence again.”
I come over to Xanga from time to time. I do miss corresponding with my friends here, but for some reason, the whole online universe just isn’t attractive to me anymore. I sometimes get this “been there done that” feeling. I can’t think of any real reasons why I don’t participate in my “online universe” anymore. I’ve been pretty absent for most of 2010. In late summer, I wrote a few Xangacentric blog entries, and crafted my “Xanxiety” comic, which got me lots of hits and new “friends”, and stoked my interest again for a while, but mostly, I’ve recycled older entries from almost 8 years of blogging, and even though my longtime “readers” still leave positive comments, I feel somewhat stagnant and lopsided when thinking of socializing online.
Not that I’m even socializing in “real life” that much. I do seem to have more connections in real life now than at any time in the last ten years, when I began socializing online regularly, but I can take em or leave em. Just as I’ve left online socializing.
Maybe I’m turning into a “hermit” in my advanced years. That’s pretty much a joke. I feel healthier and more fit than at any time previously. I was in physical pain for most of my 30s so I can’t say I felt better then. Really, I’m “younger” now than I was back then, and I’m almost 60. I maintain my positive, optimistic outlook on life, but sadly, I don’t feel like writing about it all the time, and hence, I think that’s why I’m just not interested in blogging.
If you look through some of the previous pages, where I wrote “Xangacentric” entries, I criticize the Xanga populace at large for sniping about the state of the service so much, and I still am irked by the subjects of the “top blogs” when I venture over to those pages, but for me Xanga was never a “popularity” contest. I hate contests anyway. It was a way to socialize, and to present my “art and literature”, and hopefully gain a readership. Over 8 years, I did just that, and I am happy for the experience.
When I write these little “hiatus” themed posts, and I’ve written about a half dozen this year so far, I always end by claiming that I haven’t faded completely from the Xangasphere, or from my “online life.” But as the months pass, I seem to feel less and less interested in maintaining my online presence. I was even going to take www.allthingsmike.com offline this year, but the autopay subscription got renewed earlier than I’d thought it would be, so the site is still online, although it’s last update reads 11/09.
I may be back before Christmas. If not, have a wonderful holiday, anyone left reading some of these fickle and sporadic words colliding about on this ol’ blog o’ mine.
Comments (26)
Good morning, Mike! You sound healthy and happy. Since you’ve gotten the new home, you’ve been pretty MIA, and that’s fine! You still pop up in my blog thoughts once in a while, so that shows that even though the blogosphere has become more commercial and corporate, there are still worthwhile connections. As I wrote recently about myself, it sounds like you’re Living and Doing rather than Writing in this space. Keep it up! We’ll be here when you decide to pop by.
@BoureeMusique - Dear Emily, You are one of my oldest and most favored Xangan friends. As I was taking my power walk just the other day, and J.T.’s “Aqualung” came on my ipod, I immediately thought about you. (I should have written “Bouree” but I would have been lying cause I don’t have “Stand Up” on my ipod.) Living and Doing rather than writing. I like that. A lot. And you’re right. I really began my hiatus when I got the mobile home, didn’t I?
Listen, you young whippersnapper – your most interesting blogs – to me anyway – were those expressing a philosophic or current problem opinion.
Socrates_Cafe misses your comments.
Hi, Michael!
I am happy to see you are back at blogging — even if to post that you are not very active here anymore. I think many of us go through phases where something we once did avidly no longer holds as much interest. At least, that’s been my experience.
I totally agree with you re: popularity contests. I’m not into those . It’s obvious by the few readers and comments I get that I’m not blogging whatever would pique a lot of interest or stir up a lot of commentary. Also, I am not in a blog ring, which probably would be one way to increase readers. I have thought about “plugging” my site via Xanga feature for it, but not unless I’m just down to one or two readers. But then, that might just be a time to “fuggeddaboudit”. It’s not as though I don’t have many offline life activities and interests to keep me busy.
It sounds as though your life is providing you with more pleasure, better health and generally going well. That’s a good thing.
I also feel the same as you about health issues. I, too, feel better in my “senior years” than I did when I was 30 or so.
~~Blessings ‘n Cheers
Hi Mike,
I really hope you will be more verbose here at Xanga soon.
Jurgens
Hi Mike,
I find writing on Xanga has helped me many ways. That is why I continue to write. Its therapeutic.
Cheers,
Angelina
Dear Mike,
Enjoy your break. 8 years is a long, long time in the online world. I doubt I’ll make it that long, and I commend you for your service to this blogging community, and to the general quality of internet communication. Just so you know, you’ve inspired me to think more carefully about my entries (usually) and to consider each comment I write in the same light as I would consider a handwritten note that I were dropping to someone about something they had done in the offline world.
Best of luck to you, whatever you do, and happy holidays!
~~Khai
Maybe internet is falling under the category of “sometimes things just lose our interest”… I know of a few things that have done that with me.
If I have any influence, I hope that you leave your sites (or at least one) up, even if you decide to never post in the internet community again… it’s that legacy you’ve left which is pretty awesome, and draws at least me to your site… and possibly your kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and so on into the unforeseeable future.
I know… if I could go back and read writings of my grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., I would jump for it! I like to read about other people’s thoughts too… I’m a bit nosy.
@tychecat - Dear Dick, The philosophical has always been of great interest to me, and I keep saying that I haven’t completely “disappeared”. I’m certain at some point I’ll find something to interest my inner typewriter and I’ll pen more blog entries, and more philosophical entries.
@DonnaLou - Dear Donna, I think it’s wonderful you find time to spend online at all with all the activity in your full life.
@Zeal4living - Dear Jurgens, You are one of my oldest Xanga correspondents, and am one of the people I do miss. One of the reasons I keep my hand in, is because at any time, (even tomorrow) I could come back and spend more time than ever in the blogosphere. You never know. I just don’t want anyone to think something has happened to me, as so many (including me) have wondered when people just stop blogging and never explain themselves.
@hesacontradiction - Dear Ann, Always nice to “see” you too.
@Mal_P - Dear Angelina, At some times Xanga has been theraputic for me, too, but I’ve been writing poetry since I was in junior high, and my poetry has been my therapy through the deaths of family, friends, through pain and heartache, through sickness, and through my own suicidal periods. I’ve always maintained that social networking and blogs have helped to spur creativity, act as a sounding board, and bring people together in ways unforseen “back in the day.”
@pewterrose - Dear Khai, I’m glad you signed your comment, as I wouldn’t have recognized the username. 8 years is a long time any way you look at it. Glad to know I’ve been an inspiration to you, and hopefully to others as well. I once wrote a long time ago that when I created my online universe I hoped to collect many fans and acolytes, and to inspire and enrich humanity with my words. Better than to have those words collected in notebooks on the shelves of my bookcases where nobody could see them. Thanks to the internet, I feel as if I’ve accomplished much in the way of putting my ‘art and literature” out there.
@nodnarbassoon - Dear Brandon, I’ve said many times that I believe our websites and blogs should be around in perpetuity as legacies to our lives. I can’t state that my website will be around much longer than the subscription, for which I pay by the year, but I’m a “lifetime member” of Xanga, and I hope this blog sticks around at least as long as the Xanga service does, long after I physically pass from this mortal existance.
@baldmike2004 - Dear Mike,
It appears the internet has treated you well. I believe that online relationships–whether they are with your blog, or with other bloggers, or with readers or commenters–can be summed up just as well as offline ones in that old adage, “you get out of it what you put into it.” I changed my username…. long and crazy story short, it was time. Still me, though.
~~Khai
@baldmike2004 - It is very considered of you Mike…it is true. I always wonder where people went when they just stop blogging. Maybe you just need a break. I hope to be around when you are blogging here.
I have missed you here and wondered why you were recycling old blogs. I do get where you’re coming from, as I have felt the very same way lately. I keep my Facebook because that’s where my friends and family are, but this outlet just seems like a place for weirdos and whiners lately. (I do count myself as one of the latter…) You know you can write “notes” on FB and tag your friends who would like to read them, right?
Well I’m glad to hear everything is okay with you, since the last blog of yours I read was talking about how you were having problems with your internet service. I go through cycles, too, in which I’m very into online communicating, and then days where I barely go online. It’s probably better for you to spend less time on the internet anyway.
I can be pretty verbose also. Though I’ve got facebook, I never felt any interest in pursuing twitter – it seems like it’s mostly for those celebrity obsessed people, and I’m not into that. One of my cousins on facebook (who is quite a bit younger than me) writes all his facebook updates in that internet slang which is all misspelled words and abbreviations. Half the time I have to read it three times to figure out what he’s saying. There’s probably a lot more of that on twitter, since there’s an even stricter character limit.
Anyway, even if you’re not around much, it’s been nice having you around, and best of luck with the real world.
Well, as long as you know you are missed, friend…and we welcome you with open arms when you do drop in
Have a lovely holiday season! 
I guess that’s how I’m feeling lately. I just don’t want to write. I think FB has changed my brain patterns and I just don’t care to write.
Well, sometimes breaks from stuff like blogging and online can be good. I’m sure you’ll come back and start blogging again. When you do, I’ll still be here and read your posts whenever you write them.
Dear Mike,
Just so you know that you’re missed around here. I miss your writing and, especially, your photo expeditions. Makes CA come alive for me. But, I understand the hiatus/hermit feeling. Everyone has a different reason for needing to go inward, so to speak, for a bit. It can be good for the soul, as long as it’s not permanent.
Thank for checking in with us. I do get concerned when I don’t hear from you!
Monica
I feel you. I find myself interested in my online “life” on and off a little more these days. I think I’ve just had a lot on my plate lately, which hasn’t helped really. If we don’t see you for awhile, I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas!
Hope you enjoy the holidays as well. I’ve noticed a bit of a slump in my desire to write- I’d be a hypocrite to call you out on yours. I enjoy reading what you share as it comes up. If you need the time off take it we’ll be around. Best.
I dentify (give teeth) for understanding how not to do such a thing in a deliberate fashion as to seem desensitized of all empathy. I care deeply and sometimes don’t but never to the point of ultimate forever. If not knowing was certainty, I’d be sure I play by ear and write by finger spasm long into the morrow. You, being far more organizational than I, have rights to wrongs that only feel wrong because you prefer to write. I prefer reefer and know you will rekindle or not according to the accordion of space-time in future squeeze tests and hurdy-gurdyisms. I like how you think before you write. The more thinking, the better, I always say from now on. I suppose it is kinda sad that this is my idea of fun sometimes. But, even sadder, fun just isn’t what it used to be. My real life is exactly like this but in a much different way entirely. Fun is too much work now…
@Amoralis - Dear Ben, Since yet another is fated to be pulled as soon as the pain gets to be more than I can manage, I could use the first molar on the upper left.
Your hiatuses are much longer than mine, but you aren’t so full of yourself that you have to constantly remind your readers that you aren’t blogging. (I get private messages, and I respond publicly.)
After 7 and a half years, blogging sometimes seem less like fun and more like work. And when something seems like work (that I’m not getting paid for) then I’m apt to discontinue that exercise. Even posting only once a week sometimes seems like work. (It’s been a week already?) What’s interesting to me from a sociological standpoint is that I’ll carom from blogging almost continuously to not blogging at all. Social networking burnout perhaps.
Happy Holidays to you too
Have a blast! Hey, come see my retro tree, it’s my latest blog, just a few photos.
If you come back, you got mentioned over there on Diva_Jyoti_3. A couple of times. In a favorable way.
@New_dog - Dear Dog, Thank you for the message. On one of my visits to Xanga last week (I believe I left you a rare comment) you mentioned that Allison had shut down her blog. I just followed a link to her latest blog from your site but I’m locked out of it and can’t read it. So thanks for letting me know she mentioned me. I was one of her fist commenters back on the Loonsounds blog a few years ago. I’m thinking of perhaps posting a new fictional short story in the near future. But I’m just increasingly tired of social networking online. MFN/ppf