Social Interaction

A short note to those that take the time to comment on my blog: Thank you! I have finally returned to, at least this one time, responding to your comments. That makes one in a row!

To those that just read my dribble but don’t leave comments: Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I appreciate that you took the time out of your day.

Ok, so where is the profundity, the insight and the enlightenment? Ah… Ye of little faith! Surely you know me better than that!

It seems to me there are different reasons people leave comments. I know for me, I have two primary motivations and they apply to greater principles that go well beyond blogging. The first is easy enough – the author of the post has raised in me a response of some sort. It could be to counter the idea put forth, to agree with it and perhaps cite further evidence or experience, or because it has struck a chord with me. The words resonating within me produce entirely new perspectives that I am usually compelled to share with the author.

The second reason is plain, old-fashioned human interaction. Granted, it's through a relatively new medium, but it's social characteristic as old as our species. It could be argued that this second reason encompasses the first, but it doesn’t have to. It’s purely social in nature and for that reason it is a two-way street. It goes like this:

Post – Comment – Response.

The point is that it is more often I’ll comment on another blog for this social interaction than because of anything I really must say. In all humility, anything I have to add, usually, is nothing new or profound. The comments I leave are more often a way of saying “Hey, what’s up” to a friend across the country or even on the other side of the world.

I like it when they are acknowledged with a response, even if it’s just a couple of words.

It therefore pains me to acknowledge that I have not been responding to my friends’ comments. In essence saying, “I’m too busy to say ‘Hi’.”

And that is not the case.

Selfish? Perhaps. Lazy? Likely. Inconsiderate? Absolutely!

So I now recommit myself to trying to acknowledge each and every comment I receive, even if it’s just a couple of words acknowledging that I read what you had to say. I write, in part, to be read and I appreciate it when someone takes the time to say they read my musings. I’m going to assume you would appreciate the same courtesy from me.