Commentary

To lurk, or not to lurk? That is the question.

When I started this blog it wasn't because I wanted to meet people. I wanted to do something to get the news business out of my head at the end of the day. I remembered that I used to be a pretty good writer, and able to craft entire paragraphs without once using the words "Iraq," "allegedly," "deficit," or "homicide charges." I mean, I do use those words on this blog, but in a totally different context, and usually not all at once. I meant it to be a way to make my family and friends laugh, and keep them up to date on the child I was sure we were about to have (oh, the sweet, painful irony).

Over time I started going out and reading other people's blogs, but never commenting. I never really saw a point. Most of the blogs I was reading had thousands of people commenting, and most of them were doing nothing except fawning over or disparaging the writer. And the writers of these blogs didn't really seem to care about the commenters, unless they were offering free stuff, or could be held up as and pilloried for saying something mean. They weren't conversations I wanted to be a part of. Well, actually, they weren't conversations at all.

Then I started branching out, following links, and eventually, I guess, found "my people." Yes, they are out there, and not all of them are under the strict supervision of a doctor. Out of the millions of blogs out there I found people who write interesting, funny, intelligent, and bizarre things that sparked my interest and made me want to speak up. So I did. And now I worry that I should shut up.

You see, I have become a kind of "comment junkie" in recent months. I say something about everything, and some times I comment before I have even finished the post (I think in the blog world that is the same as cutting someone off mid-sentence, oh, except then the comment just looks dumb, especially if they have addressed your remark in the rest of the post that you didn't read). There are posts that I have even commented twice on. Now, of course, I think that every comment I leave is an absolute gem, filled with humor, and maybe just a little bit of wisdom. However, now I am beginning to worry I am like the party guest no one invited, and just tolerated with a nod and a grimace.

Do I have any reason to believe this? No. Has anyone politely asked me not to comment on their blog? Or to only comment after taking a breathalyzer? No. Still I worry about it, the same way I worry in the summer that my deodorant has stopped working and no one wants to tell me because my stench is keeping them at arm's length.

Of course, now that I out of the lurking closet, I can't go back in. No one can delurk. They can pout, and take their ball and go home, but they can't delurk. While I can pout with the best of them (really, ask Ryan, I DO hold my breath) I think pouting on the Internet, where no one can see me is probably pretty pointless. Of course, I could set up a webcam, and buy the domain name Libbyispouting.com, and maybe become the next Internet sensation like David at the Dentist, or porn. If I took my top off I bet I definitely could. I mean, I've never really blogged about it, but my boobs are magnificent. Really, my best feature.

I lost myself. What was this post about? I know it was serious at one point.

Oh yeah! It's time for all of you out there reading and not commenting to delurk! I did it, and now you have to do it too. Let your people know where you are. And make me feel better by leaving comments so unabashedly banal, obscene, or nonsensical that I feel like Dickens! Better yet, leave a comment you wanted to leave on someone else's blog, but couldn't (if they are mean just let me know they aren't really meant for me). I declare this comment freedom day!

Go!