Why You Treat Me Like a Dog?: Blogging is Hard

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Blogging is Hard

My friend Doctor Bean introduced me to Blogger about a year and a half ago. It began with an email he sent me with the subject "bloggy goodness" and included a link to his group blog Kerckhoff Coffeehouse. I have to admit that his email was opened, quickly read, and then allowed to languish in the never-ending queue know as "The Inbox."

For some reason, a few months later, I came across his initial email, and finally clicked over to Kerckhoff and read a few posts. I liked what I saw, and thought, hey, what a great idea, I'll just set up a blog, send out an email to a few friends I regularly correspond with anyway inviting them to join, and put our rantings and ravings on the 'Net for all to see and partake in. What could be easier?

No dice. Of the half dozen friends I emailed to join, not one responded. Now mind you, these are people I email and talk to regularly anyway, but on the topic of starting a blog, the response was no response. A second round of cajoling resulted in my Manhattanite friend goldstone jumping on the bandwagon, and he even posted a few times in the early days. My darling wife of course did what she could being eight or nine months pregnant and then nursing and doing most of the raising of Baby Wanderer. She supported me as I tried to get this blog off the ground.

Being the perfectionist that I am, I must admit that I have been disappointed with the results. Sure I've had a few ok posts and so on. I've also acquired a handful of regulars who stop by and shoot the breeze with me, and I am indebted to them - I don't think I would have lasted this long without them. I am continuously in awe (and jealousy) of the real blogs out there. You know, the ones who get like more than 20 comments per post, nearly daily and actually have something interesting to say, nearly daily. I am particularly in awe of the solo bloggers, who despite having "day jobs" still manage to churn out good stuff on a regular basis, without the benefit of co-bloggers to take up the slack on those apathetic days, and its the good stuff that really keeps 'em coming. Their quality humbles me, and makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong here.

People have asked me what the name of the blog means. In truth, the title comes from an old demented patient of mine during my training days in the Bronx. He would lie in bed all day long saying "Why You Treat Me Like A Dog? Why You Treat Me Like A Dog? Why You Treat Me Like A Dog?" Many medical professionals develop a cynical sense of humor that this type of patient and his mantra can feed. His chant had an almost hypnotic cadence to it, and it belied on many levels how terrible his life really was. In any case, it stuck with me, and goldstone, who trained with me, knew about it, so I thought it could work as a title for the blog. Since most blogs in the J-Blogosphere tend to have a conservative slant to them, I thought that there might be room for a more Blue State take on things, and anticipated some flack, maybe even being treated like a dog sometimes. Bella, our family beagle, just seemed like a natural mascot...

I didn't set out on writing this post like it were an obituary for this blog, but am beginning to feel that it reads like one. Perhaps the fact that it hasn't taken off is emblematic of the political shift that has been occurring in the American Jewish community over the last two decades. I know I am assigning myself more importance than I deserve, particularly given the overall lack of political material here. The truth probably lies somewhere else - relating more to the overall quality of writing and perhaps the subject matter (or lack thereof). Just another voice in the wilderness.

In any case, I think I'll be taking a break from posting for a while. Perhaps I'll be back, perhaps I won't. Maybe I need to create a new blog that'll be my own, and designed that way. I don't know, but I like being called wanderer, so if you see my name somewhere, just click on it, you'll either be brought here, or directed somewhere new. In the meantime, I'll just keep reading everybody else's blogs, because that's just what I've enjoyed most about blogging. Thanks for stopping by.

- posted by wanderer @ 11:10 PM

Comments:

Wanderer, please don't wander too far or too long away from us. I enjoy reading your words and your style of writing.

Every few months, a few of my favorite bloggers end up with (I'll say this for your benefit) "Jewkim ba-rosh"! They suffer identity crises as bloggers, feel that they're not contributing anything worthwile to the blogging society and question whether they should continue. Some have actually taken the next step and left us behind.

I hope you won't be one of those!

In the meantime, enjoy your family: your wife and Toddler Wanderer (I think he's past baby stage, is he not?) and Bella.

Pearl

# posted by

torontopearl : 6/22/2006 6:12 AM

It's OK. We'll always have real life. You may have noticed I've deleted myself from the contributors at Kerckhoff. I'll see you in meatspace.

# posted by

Doctor Bean : 6/22/2006 1:14 PM

Wanderer: Well, I for one, am not going to sit here and be supportive of you leaving :(
I love your words and would miss them if you leave. I hope you will rethink how you feel, and know that many of us are touched by your writings.
Your posts have often times challenged me to look at things in a new way, or made me laugh, or brought me to tears. You have inspired two of my posts. You even made me feel like a movie officionado, with Sat. movie nights.
I hope you won't leave.

# posted by

cruisin-mom : 6/22/2006 5:53 PM

I also enjoy reading you and will miss checking in on what you have to say. I am still having Sat. Night movie withdrawals, but I understand how you feel and your need to go with what feels right for you.

I wouldn't take this whole blogging thing too seriously though, unless you plan to make a living through it. It's a great outlet and fun place to meet new people, but it shouldn't define our lives or bring us down when it's not meeting our expectations.

As for the name of the Post, I just assume it had to do with Bella's eyes and her inquiring look as to say, "I'm part of you, why you treating me like a dog."

Good luck with your siesta.

Cheers,

# posted by

... Is the Window to Our Soul : 6/24/2006 11:00 AM

Why you treat me like a blog?

# posted by

Ralphie : 7/05/2006 4:49 PM

Ralphie: you so funny.
Wanderer: are you ever going to come back and just visit? We miss you.
(for the first time in my life, someone actually thinks I'm cool..."cool people blogs"...and now you're going to leave? bleh :(

# posted by

cruisin-mom : 7/05/2006 11:05 PM

You California types are so fickle.

Feh.

BTW it's easy for me to keep blogging because (need I keep reminding you) I have NO REAL FRIENDS.

NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.

That's why I type it out and put it on the internet.

Anyway, this isn't really goodbye. It's more like "welcome to instant messenger".

# posted by

PsychoToddler : 7/17/2006 1:50 PM

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