blog surfers anonymous


It's a standing joke/truth in our family that my husband has an addictive personality. He knows that this is a weakness of his and he takes measures to guard against it, though he's already been ensnared in a couple of addictions that he hasn't either tried to break free from or he doesn't want to. Smoking is one of them. Playing pool is another. The heathen.

It's been hard for me to understand the power of addiction. I mean I like chocolate and all, but I can, if I have to, live without it. I never had a bit of chocolate when I was pregnant with both my children, for instance. But lately, I am coming to a certain realization; that I TOO, can become addicted to something. Right now that something is...BLOGEXPLOSION SURFING!

For several nights in a row now, after I go to bed, I stay awake just surfing members' sites, one after the other. Sometimes one catches my interest and I'll linger. I'll even leave an occasional comment. It's not even because Greg's gone that I am doing this because I started last week when he was still here! The worst part is that I don't know when to stop. I mean I've come to the end of the site list twice now and that's when I have stopped. But for the past 3 nights I've tried to surf to the end of the blogs, but the end never came! One night, or I should say morning, I glanced at the clock and it was almost 3AM! That's when I started suspecting that I might be sick. This was confirmed when for the next two nights I surfed until 2AM.

I have even surfed when making and eating dinner. I just bring my laptop along with me. I happily take a bite, then click to the next blog. I will take the occasional potty break, but I do this very fast so I can get back in 30 seconds to click to the next blog. And then there are the side effects that are creeping in such as the agitation I feel upon reaching blogs that automatically download a song to my computer, auto open Windows Media Player and play some annoying song., Or the impatience I feel upon arriving at sites with some huge and distracting graphic whereupon I have to search for the latest entry in order to read anything., Usually I just impatiently wait for the 30 seconds to be up, without ever exploring the blog and then click happily on out of there, There is the indignation I feel when I happen upon the blogs that smugly parade a deviant lifestyle or use extremely offensive language. Lastly there's the downright anger I feel upon coming to the blogs that display incipient ignorance politically or quote Scripture out of context to make some secular or liberal point or to justify sinful behavior.

So let's take inventory so far:

Agitation
Impatience
Indignation
Anger

None of these fosters a good habit now do they? In defense, there are the good feelings that also come along with blog surfing, besides the sense of accomplishment I feel as I watch my points rack up. Some of these blogs touch places in my soul that rarely get touched. I read about heartaches or challenges or hurdles and how people overcome them. I laugh out loud at entries from those who have mastered the art of humor. I've felt compassion for those who are struggling with life's questions. I've found kindred spirits in the most unexpected places. So, I'm not quite ready yet to join Blogsurfers Anonymous. But, save me a seat, because when my family finally learns about this, they may corner me and confront me. What do they call that? An Intervention?

Posted: Wed - October 27, 2004 at 10:43 AM           |

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