Rachel likes Chicken and Chicken likes Rachel AND Ashes: A Blogging Memoir

Hi World:

Way back in January my friend Rachel, at the Rachel Chronicals , gave me a Stylish Blogger award.

Why, thanks, Rachel, and back at you.  I was drawn to Rachel's blog through her profile pic.  Is that cute or what?

I'm late in thanking Rachel because I wrote myself a note from my mother to get out of blogging for the month of January.  (Dear Blogosphere, Please excuse Chicken from blogging this month because she is real busy doing other stuff and can't come out to play, but will be back soon, love Chicken's Mom). 

And for you enquiring minds, you know who you are, I was NOT in rehab. If I had been, I would have gotten some autographs and photos and posted them here.  So no need to worry. Or maybe you should worry.  I guess it depends on your perspective. 

Anway, moving on.  Just today, I read another post from another blogging friend, Up from the Ashes, and it reminded me of Rachel, how she was so kind to me, and how we all encourage one another.   It is an important part of this blogging world for most of us. 

In case you are on a time limit today, which we all can appreciate, I'll give you the gist of Ashes post.

She spoke about not having a lot of followers and that she didn't mind that because she doesn't really like being in the spotlight-in the blogging world or the real world.  She decided to take a chance recently, however, in the real world, and is participating in a fashion show.  (Wow, way to make an entrance into the world, Girl.  Chicken + Fashion Show + Heels = No Possible Way. Dude.)

And because I know this blogging world to be a very friendly and encouraging one, I am here to encourage her to let her light shine in the blogosphere, as well.  I started to write a comment to her post, but it went on and on and on, and rather than harangue the poor woman to death, I decided to harangue you all.  But not to death.  So sit back down, darn it.

Chicken tangent:  Isn't harangue a great word?  I had no idea how to spell it.  So when I looked it up, Google decided that what I really wanted to search for was Harry Potter.  I'm getting a little sick of Google's arrogance, and there will be a post coming on that soon.

Anyway, back to the haranguing.  What I wanted to tell Ashes is that, with a few exceptions (and we all know who they are, because they are hilarious, mesmerizing, or just plain the sweetest, and we all read them), blogging relationships take time, but the rewards of developing those relationships are worth far more than the investment of time you will make.

In addition to the people I already know in real life who read and encourage me, there are also you guys-the bloggers I may never meet, whose friendship and encouragement mean a lot to me (especially during this very tough year). 

So what I want to say to my friend Ashes is:  Yes, you DO want to be the center of attention for the amount of time it takes someone to read your post.  Believe that, and believe we are interested in hearing what you have to say about yourself and your life in your own unique voice.  We can't get that anywhere else. 

I'm passing on this Stylish Blogger award to you as a promise that there will always be someone who wants to hear what you take the time to write, and there will always be someone that connects with it.  Unless you are a really mean clown or Hitler or something.  But sadly, even then, there will probably be someone.

BTW, those awards come with rules.  I know one of them is passing it on, and I think another might be telling us all things about yourself that we don't already know. 

THINGS ABOUT ME YOU MAY NOT KNOW:  I made littleb french toast this morning for breakfast.  I'll bet you didn't know that.  Also, yesterday I got lost looking for an event I was supposed to attend and never made it.  Did you know that?  Did you know that I get lost all the freakin' time?  Did you know that my own personal mantra is "It is the journey that counts, not the destination"? Good thing I really believe it, too, because I almost never end up where I meant to go.

Good luck, Ashes, with all your blogging efforts and your writing in general.

Rachel, thanks for wanting to hear my voice and for appreciating it.  I appreciate you, too.

I appreciate all of you.

Chicken out