Norm, a complete stranger, comments on my horrendous spelling skills; And I thank him?

I did something tonight I have tried very hard not to do since I started this blogging endeavor: I wrote a small piece, posted it, and have now deleted it.

Here’s the deal: A rather lengthy conversation led to some thinking, and even a little introspection and self-evaluation. This led to some goals I set for myself, which I realized not too long afterward were way out of my league.

So, I decided to forgo these goals, for now. Why the sudden change of heart? Well, I can thank Norm.

Who is this Norm? Where did he come from? How no earth did he end up on my little corner of the internet? Fortunately, he was kind enough to post a link to his exploration of the blogging world. This is what he had to say:

“So today I decided to really hit up some blogs. Looking for some inspiration, some laughs, or even a kick to the chops. I didn’t know. I decided to start at one blog read the first entry. Leave a remark or not, then Click one of that blogs links….

“Scrolling down the links there, one caught my eye A Guy, a Girl, Three Cats and a Dog, so I clicked it. With a name like that……The first post was a little short so I ended up reading three. Good stuff. Addicted to crosswords? Sending a letter to your Elliptical Glider? Hehe ok someone with a slight askewed sense of humor. I like that. Gonna have to check them out more.”

So, I became famous (in my own mind anyway) by sheer luck, a semi-catchy title, and by the fact I was already linked on a friends blog.

So where does this leave me? It leaves me a sense of needing to a little more adventurous with my own blogging. When I started keeping a blog it was really about keeping tabs with the Family; Mom and Dad, and my sister. The parental units live a scant 300 miles away. Sister, on the other hand, lives a whopping 1,036 miles away. And lets face it, when I lived a mere 10 minutes from the folks house, I still only talked to them once (maybe twice) a week. Add a few hundred miles distance to that relationship and I might as well live in Saskatchewan. Now, over time, this blogging thing has taken on a whole new feel. I’m not even sure when the last time I posted a pictorial post was. I’m note even sure when I last commented on the general goings on here on the Lost Coast.

So in essence, thanks to Norm, I think I have found the direction I need in this NaBloPoMo. I need to branch out. I need to find other areas of inspiration and information.

So, this is my goal (and believe me, this will be easier to achieve than the ones I set previously this evening):

For the next 5 days I will be exploring blogs outside my normal circle (which also extends out of my own personal comfort zone). I’ll be commenting on this here for the next few days.

And to Norm, I say this: Thanks for stopping by and having the audacity to comment on a complete stranger’s horrendous spelling skills. It might have been the small kick in the arse that I needed here as I have been somewhat floundering in my own textual stagnation.