Look Good, Feel Good, Blog Good

When you go on a tour of a university campus and they bring you to a dorm room, your entire body takes a panoramic view of the place and your head tilts to the strangest angles, as if you’ve never observed anything before.

This is the part where every Dad looks under the bed and in the closet to see how much storage space there is, before proclaiming, “Oh yeah, you’ll have tons of space.”

As you’re taking in the entire ambience (new year, new words) of the room, you notice the uncomfortable desk chair and the concrete walls.

To muffle (again – new year, new words) any qualms (NYNW) about the living situation, they tell you that you can bring your own chair from home, and your university experience won’t be about the walls that contain you, but rather, what you do inside of them.

Or maybe it’s “what you do outside of them”. Or “what you make of them”. Or “the people you meet”. Or “how you cover up every inch of concrete with posters and flags”. I can’t remember.

Also, that whole bit about the desk chair was completely unnecessary. I’m just passionate about not sitting on stiff chairs for eight months. Aren’t we all, though?

Where am I going with this?

The concrete walls not defining your post-secondary experience is my elaborate analogy for blogging.

Sure, there are no concrete walls here. Hmm, that sort of ruins my analogy. Can we build a wa…nope, not going to finish that sentence.

Point being: blogging is what we make of it.

On the fourth Sunday of this week – known as “Wednesday” in the Western World – I encouraged all of you to introduce yourself and share a link to your blog in the comments section of my post in an effort to build community, camaraderie, and a cacophony of cackles.

I came up with that alliteration, specifically for a tweet on my @CappyTalks account. My fingers needed a drink of water after writing it. Such a mouthful.

Share Your Blog 2019 was the name of the post, as most of you know. I wasn’t sure at the time why I was putting “2019” in the title, but I now realize it was probably my guardian writing angel looking out for me, so I can turn it into an annual post at the start of every year going forward.

Unlike Delissio, you guys delivered! Thank you!

As of right now, 44 people shared their blog and I can already see the connections that were made coming to fruition. If you haven’t joined the party yet, feel free to wander in whenever!

I really only deserve about 5% of the credit for this entire thing. The rest is all yours.

That being said, one of the things I never knew I loved until now, was reading the comments on someone else’s blog and coming across people talking about me. What an ego trip that was. And it happened multiple times!

Someone bring me back down to Earth, please. Just as long as it’s a limo you bring me down in. I have standards now.

But really, I can’t thank those of you who commented, enough. Over the last two days, I’ve probably re-read every comment about seven and a half times, like a proud parent…twice removed…from your house…because I’m not your guardian…sorry…I’ve been meaning to tell you…

That joke ran through five red light ellipses. I’m proud of myself.

You guys made my heart smile.

Awwww guys, we made his heart smile! Awwww look at da wittle cheeks of the heart as they clump! Awoogiewoogiewoo (the noise people make when they pull your cheeks). 

Alright, stop. No pulling the cheeks of my heart. I’m not your grandson.

That was a, “grandparents pulling your cheeks” joke. Cross it off the Bingo card if you have it.

The original title of this post was, “Community”. Somewhere along the way, “Look Good, Feel Good, Blog Good” popped in my head and I decided to go with that, instead.

By the way, the title of this post should be said in the most Canadian accent you have stashed away in your repertoire.

If you don’t know how to sound Canadian, try holding your breath and talking from the back of your throat at the same time. Done. Welcome to Canada. What size skate do you take?

Back to talking about community, though.

I’ve grown up watching and playing sports. I like teams. There’s an unspoken trust when you’re on a team.

It’s a, “Dis ma crew, don’t mess” kind of trust. The best teams are the ones that are like family, where you can say anything and it doesn’t matter because it comes from a place of love.

Even outside of sports, it can be a group of friends that is tight like a family.

One thing I’m finding out about myself is I like to be a part of these groups, and that feeling of being part of a community is something I’ve been chasing since my university days when my floor mates were my brothers and sisters.

I think that’s part of the reason why I’m so adamant about bloggers interacting with each other. Great and happy things happen when like-minded people get together to be a part of something special.

And maybe I’m just selfishly chasing that feeling to fill a void, but so be it.

I have over 5400 followers, but that number is deceiving. I liken it to a teacher, who over the course of their career may have taught hundreds, if not thousands of kids. But they only teach 30 this year.

That’s the blogging community. People come, people go. But as long as there are people, there will be a community.

Wow, that was wise. I’m going to stop while I’m ahead.

Now go forth and look good, feel good, blog good!

This is the end of your guided tour. Gift shop, anyone? There’s a keychain with my face on it.