Rejected photo #1: Belt Buckle in Snow
I have been meaning to write this post for many moons.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t been clear how to proceed. (It isn’t any clearer right now, but I figure if I start typing something might arise.)
Several wonderful inspiring bloggers in blog-land have gifted me with some blog awards in the last few years. The Kreativ Blogger Award, The Versatile Blogger Award, maybe some other blogging awards.
I always do what my mama taught and go thank them profusely. Not just because mama taught politeness: I am truly appreciated and delighted. It always is a nice honor when someone says they like your blog. You want to dive into the computer and hug ’em really hard and invite them over for tea.
Yet you find yourself replying, “Ladies & Gentlemen, dear readers, Sadly I must decline this award…”
Rejected Photo #2: Bluten Mischung tea from Germany, I believe.
(Here’s the part where it would be super-polite to name everyone who has given me an award. Unfortunately, there’s a small hitch. You know that memory problem? Where you forget things you’re not supposed to forget? Well, I’ve forgotten at least a third of the people who passed along the award. So it would be SUPER impolite to honor the bloggers whose names I do remember… You know who you are, don’t you? Let’s just dive through the computer and hug.)
For you non-bloggers, it’s time to back up a skip & jump and explain to you about blogging awards. We bloggers are astute folks. We peruse the web looking for blogs we like. Some brilliant creative & versatile blogger somewhere decided to make up an award. The rules usually proceed as follows:
Rejected Photo #3: A bowl of Arugula
1) You receive the award from another creative & versatile blogger. (Except the first one. She received it from her own creative and versatile mind.)
2) You thank the Missus or Mister who awarded you. You link back to the original blog.
3) You now must list 7-100 things about yourselves that others don’t know. Such as: I had mononucleosis when I was sixteen and kissed my boyfriend and he never got sick, so don’t you ever call it the “kissing disease” again. It is often very fascinating to read these little-known facts about your favorite blogger. In my case, you know everything about me already, right? Except for the mononucleosis episode. If anyone wants to know more, please ask, and I shall write a 1,000 word blog before breakfast tomorrow.
Rejected Photo #4: Studebaker
4) After you have revealed your secret stash of facts, you now must share your 7-100 favorite bloggers, complete with links. This is one of the real reasons that I don’t play this award game. How the heck are you going to choose “favorite” blog-hers and blog-hims? How can you choose between favorite children, favorite colors, favorite days of the week, favorite blogs? I have never, ever, been able to choose a “favorite” anything, let alone a favorite kind of ice cream.
You could still choose, of course, your latest favorite bloggers. But I am afraid all the non-chosen ones will be weeping into their coffee cups this morning, hiccuping, blowing nose, crying, “But she didn’t choose me, what’s wrong with me?”
It’s hard enough asking bloggers to do guest-blogs. Several bloggers have approached me in dreams whispering, “You don’t like me, do you? Why haven’t you asked me?” I try to explain that there is a dream-chooser who chooses guest blogs based on cosmic influences, but the dream bloggers don’t buy it.
Rejected Photo #5: Old Trunk Latch
5) After you have written your Award Acceptance Speech and linked to all the appropriate blogs, you place a small icon on the edge of your blog announcing your award to the world. Now folks come to your blog and oooohhhh and aaaahhhhhh appropriately because you have proof that you’re an awesome blogger and capable of winning awards.
Blogging awards are lovely vehicles for spreading news of wonderful on-line blogs. We discover new words to read, new photos to admire, new facts to file. They help make people feel good about their creativity. I’m not knockin’ them, honest.
Sometimes our tender hearts want us to accept a blogging award, yes, they do, sweet soft blogging hearts.
The first person who ever offered me a blogging award when I was still insecure & fumbling in the blogging world is still my best blogging friend in the Universe, double-dipped hug to you, my dearest! (If I could only remember who you are…)
Final Rejected Photograph: Another View of Snowy Tomato Cages
It’s just that my creativity and versatility gets fitful when anyone wants to categorize it into a previous definition of creativity and versatility. It doesn’t want to be limited to 7-100 little known facts about yours truly. It doesn’t want to fit inside any rules, except the Societal Rules It Already Follows.
OK, I’ve admitted it. This blogger kinda likes to bust rules. It fiercely wants to be creative in its own way. There’s probably a ten-step program for this somewhere.
Therefore–ahem–big announcement–I won’t be accepting blogging awards for the current time. I may CREATE a blogging award, though, hmmmm….new creative possibility. Instead, if and when some lovely soul offers an award, say–The Humorous, Spiritual, Writing & Photography Blogger–I will kindly point toward this post (while weeping in my coffee, because, gosh darn it, doesn’t it sound like a wonderful award–a perfect award?) –and lean closer to the computer and deeply hug the bestower while contemplating what kind of tea to brew for both of us.
P.S. All of these photographs are “rejected” photographs from the January-February file. They’ve been sobbing for days because they weren’t included in previous blogs. Go figure! It’s impossible to please everyone, isn’t it?
Lake Superior Spirit 
Agreed! I had accepted and put up the pretty looking icons. My blog did not look clean and tidy; and I felt like a pretender because I felt like a pretender! Was/Is there a standard and why must we always have to give awards or grade?
Wondering with you about those standards. Why do we need–and sometimes even want–awards and grades? I always loved grades, as a child. Wondering why we sometimes think we’re pretenders. I think we are always our beloved selves, even though we sometimes want ourselves to be other than they are.
Last weekend, while sifting through some old blog post drafts I came across one I had written last year about blog awards. I had received several in a short frame of time and decided that the most efficient way to deal with them was to accept them all in one post – not an easy task. Even once I finished writing the detailed post, answering all the questions and adding the award images, it still did not sit well with me, so I never published it.
I think the crux of the problem was that I couldn’t decide who NOT to pass the awards onto. When faced with so many wonderful options, the choice can’t help but become arbitrary. As witnessed by your beautiful rejected images.
Amy-Lynn, I so understand about the half-written acceptance speech blogs. I’ve had one sitting in the hopper for the longest time. It was so challenging to write. It stressed me to the blogging max! And yet I felt so appreciative towards those who honored this blog. At last count I had 15 blogs highlighted to pass on the award–including yours. But couldn’t not mention the others… Beauty is so in the eye of the beholder, cliched as that sentiment is.
Kathy I know exactly what you mean. I have a couple of these outstanding awards that feel more like requests with their lists of “to do”s as well. I do understand the award purpose of being able to find great blogs to read and learning a little more about each other. My challenge is different than yours I think though. Where I find it hard is I am a blog writer but necessarily a big blog reader. I read slowly and thoughtfully and probably only about one third the content of most bloggers. I do not have 15 unique bloggers to recommend to others. I have a small handful of places I drop by on mostly a very irregular bases. Don’t get me wrong, I love connecting – it is just that I prefer to have you over for a cup of tea at my blogging home. The surprising thing is that this doesn’t seem to be an issue for readers. Maybe it is the painting processes and seascape photography that keeps them coming back So I have learned to honour that part of my connecting process. But I haven’t had the courage to say “thanks but no thanks” to blogging awards. Maybe I shall point to your post too! 🙂
Terill, I love your response here. I love that you are a slow and thoughtful responder. Part of me wishes I could be a slow and thoughtful responder. Wishing I wasn’t so fast…so quick. It feels like I can not deeply sink into other blogs and be properly there for another person. In “real” life, perhaps more so. Please point to this post if it feels helpful when others honor your lovely creative blog!
I guess I would feel the same way after the umpteenth (do people use this word anymore?) award is awarded to me by a fellow blogger. But I am at the beginning of my blogging “career” and it does feel good to know that someone out there likes your work enough to “nominate” you; to know that your words are not falling on (digital) deaf ears. I just got the nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award. I am overjoyed. You are absolutely right about how those followers who do not get nominated feel like. It felt terrible when a fellow blogger I was following and who I thought liked my work did not nominate me. I spent sleepless nights thinking of a way to improve my blog. (At least I think I did not sleep or maybe I was only dreaming that I was sleepless. But that is not the point.) I have not nominated the next 15 bloggers yet because I think in order to maintain a certain standard, I should really choose the good ones. But then again, what I find good might not be the same as yours. Its all subjective anyway. I wonder how many bloggers have been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award so far? I will keep in mind not to nominate you. I respect your wishes. But I would like to award you the My Favourite Blog Award. There is only one rule. Keep on writing. 🙂 Wish you a wonderful weekend. Cheers!
Dear Irene, as I wrote on your blog: You are Doing Everything Right. You are writing from your heart, sharing yourself. You are showing up commenting on other blogs and continuing to show up. You are passionate. You are filled with blogging energy–so much so that you can’t sleep. Many of us have started in your shoes. We know! Keep up being exactly who you are, and you can’t fail. Just you wait and see…
Thanks for the kind words and moral support. 🙂 Cheers!
I was ONLY afraid that you were going to tell us Kathy, that you were NOT going to write blogs anymore. You are one of the best of the best that I know of. You got me here this morning (you sneaky devil) with your title – yup, intrigued by the little snippet in the notification, you cagey blogger, you !!
Well, choosing among so many who truly love and cherish you; and that you love and cherish too (as I know you to be so very generously loving, of all those who cross your path – at least, in my perception of you – understand, I’m not trying to define you or pin you down, no way would I presume to GOL !!) is too hard to do. I understand.
Thanks for enlightening me about the blogging world’s version of the Golden Globes and Oscars. I had no idea; but then, I don’t have so many hours a day, to flit around the blog-o-sphere – sadly.
Hugs of that love and cherishing, genuinely bestowed upon you this morning (NO, this is NOT an award you have to appropriately acknowledge . . . )
Tee hee, Deb! Intrigued by the notification snippet, were you? Hurray, it worked! **grin** Thank you for saying all the nice things about me….but it’s weird. Even though I use the “I” word more times than a human being ought in these blogs, I rarely think these blogs are about me. They’re about the human “I” that we all are. Therefore, everything you said about me is true about YOU. You are generously loving, oh you are, and you need no award to acknowledge that it’s true…
Dear Kathy, I would like to nominate you in the don’t-give-me-a-blogging-award category, for your post rejecting receipt of future blogging awards.
Congratulations !!!
Sybil: I accept! Oh yes! I accept! (Jumping up and down in the snow, throwing a snowball at you!)
Rather than thinking of them as awards, I think of them as stepping off platforms for a blog post idea. That was the main reason I did the posts that I did. My sister calls them “memes,” though I’m not sure what the exact definition of a meme is. So, really, that’s what you’ve just used blog awards for too! 😉
Hey Karma, do you think “memes” means “me–me!” ?? I love your idea of them as stepping-off platforms. I love that you saw through me, and knew that I stepped off into more crazy blogging creativity. I adore you, Karma. Truly.
I just googled “meme” for the heck of it. Apparently a meme is “an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture,” according to Wikipedia. It has been broadened to include “internet memes” which is a concept spreading on the internet. How’s that for general and vague? I think your idea makes more sense! I adore you too, Kathy!
Thank you for looking that up, Karma. Now we know, and can file it away in our memories…although every time I look at that word it still seems to say “me-me”. tee hee! Have a great day.
Kathy – You have stated it so eloquently.
Just last week I gave the front page of my blog a wee facelift (a nip here, a tuck there), and removed the “awards” that I’d received.
Dear Laurie, **gasp** Do you believe in plastic SURGERY? Facelifts, nips, tucks? OK, I’m grinning. Sometimes we just have to re-do our public persona, and who knows what will go NEXT? I adore you, too…
Interesting – I am fairly new to the blogging world and rather solipsitic, I think. I only know (personally) a couple of bloggers, and they’re just as clueless as I am. So thank you for explaining some of the blogging world out there. I must admit, I’d LOVE to be offred an award.Most of my readers didn’t even know what a ‘blog’ was before I begged them to open my link, so an award would impress them enough to then maybe share my link with others…? Maybe?
But you’re right, in the end we don’t write our blogs to get awards. We write for the creativity of the writing, the imaginings, the sharing. I started a blog screaming “Noooo” all the way, but I am thrilled now, and look forward to posting a story every week. So congrats to all of us for diligently working on our craft…. of blogging. THANKS.
Dear roughwighting, ok, I admit it. I had to look up the word “solipsitic”. Hurray! Learned a new word today before lunch! I am glad to render you less clueless. I would love to offer you an award–even though I don’t know you–if the heart agreed. Know how hard it is to gain a blogging audience. We sweat blood and tears at times, trying to get that audience, oh where are you audience, where are you? Glad you are thrilled and Keep Blogging!
Well said, Kathy, very thoughtfully expressed. I agree 100%. Something about the blog awards circling around the blogosphere smacks of “chain letter” to me…
Oh my goodness, Barbara, you have me frowning now thinking of the perils of chain letters! I have never thought of blog awards as chain letters before. (Usually I’m too mushed by the honor bestowed.) Now I am wagging my eyebrows in an evil manner thinking of the chain letter syndrome. How dare chain letters appear in our otherwise calm and orderly lives?
OH thank you! I see the type that you have described as a new form of chain mail and I absolutely will NOT do them. Though, the look of them being personal and the potential for the blog actually having been chosen from a true like, rather than needing to grab 7 or 100 so as not to appear a stick in the mud, has me going to a guilt shame place. And then, I laugh at myself, because those who know me, know this about me. I much rather prefer honest and spontaneous expressions in comments. I like to see evidence of engagement. I’m also good with a lack of engagement. It amazes me all of the reasons for being creative. It amazes me the amount of denial that can come with it. It amazes me the glorious freedom of expression that come with it.
Part of me wistfully notices the wanna bees tuning up though when i wonder about an AWARD. I want a REAAAAAAAAAAAL award, not a publisher’s clearing house doohickey! hehehe
The strangest things motivate me!
Again, thanks for this post.
Dearest Elisa, howdy! Heavens. “Honest and spontaneous expressions in comments.” Yes. Without the heavy winter coats of “rules”. The glorious freedom of expression! My goodness, girlfriend, you could write a blog about the “glorious freedom of expression”! I wish you get a real award some day. My husband got a fishing award a few years back. He was thrilled. It’s a plaque honoring his fish. Yet he loves it. Not sure if I ever got a real award… of course, if I did, I probably forgot. 😦
lol I figured that I might have to …want to explain about how i feel about all awards
I’ve had them and I am very flat about them. I think that it comes across to others as ungrateful and well, flat. Some things that I go after I am excited about during the challenge and the creation (i think this is what you call the birthing process?) and then, well i’m just done. Or, I find out that I didn’t’ really need this or that anyway or after all.
I do like random stickers and pats though.
Elisa, can’t help it but I love that you used the word “doohickey”! 😀 My Mom used to say that often! Oh and we have this Christmas tradition that one person gets bestowed with a lovely, sticker ordained box under the Christmas tree! And every year more stickers get added! It’s hard to believe how many different kinds of stickers there are in the world! 😀
I’m with you on this, wholeheartedly. In fact, I stopped accepting blog awards some time ago and put a note in the footer of my blog to that effect.
The gesture from the person giving it is great, and the idea behind blog awards are to spread ‘link love’ by mentioning other people’s blogs, so then your own readers go to them, and their readers come back to your blog. But they are so time and energy consuming, and they do have a tendency to start multiplying. (I’ve seen blogs, and nearly ended up with one myself – not my current blog, but a past one) in which nearly all the posts consisted just of blog awards.
I remember when you did this, Val. I admired your courage! Smiling at the word “link love”. Happy that you know deeply about blog awards…and equally happy that you chose to move on. Oh, our hearts! They choose so differently in different moments…don’t they?
You ARE an award …
Oh my dear sweet Susan D…you only say that because you know me and we’re bestest friends and we adore one another…virtually and in actuality. In which case I can equally say with as much confidence and adoration: YOU are an award, you are, you are, you definitely are.
Thank you for explaining all of this. I do not have a blog of my own, but I have often wondered about the blog awards, and really didn’t understand what they were about nor what they entail. If I ever get the nerve and know-how to start a blog, I now have the information on blog awards, and I would decline knowing what you have shared. I appreciate you passing on this information.
I agree with Susan D — You are an award.
Dear Motherkitty, I am educating as best I can on what your blog will mean, and what you may encounter. However, I will fail utterly–because your blog will be yours only, with your own sweet heart at the center, and you’ll only be able to follow what the heart says, if you want to be true to your self. Who knows? Your heart may want one award, or six, for its very own. I wouldn’t argue with hearts. They tell us what we want and we are helpless but to answer in our small blogging voices…
Well written.
The pressure of choosing a limited number to pass this sort of award on to is huge. These are people not just blogs. I follow a limited number of blogs, time does not permit me to read all of them. Searching through blogs that I have dipped into to make up the numbers took hours. My daughter said much the same things as some other commentators here, that is sounds like a chain letter. Peer recognition though does make you feel sort of warm and fuzzy. I think if I had been blogging for longer and received several I would feel the same way as you do. Apart from that how do you continue to write things about yourself that no one knows? Eventually you must run out of things that they don’t know and that you don’t mind them knowing.
Keep on with the wonderful blog Kathy and the fantastic pictures. I enjoy each one coming into my inbox. 🙂
Kerry, my sweet, my new best friend, you are one of those I should be thanking from the bottom of my heart! (I did thank you, didn’t I?) I did start a blog to pass on the Kreativ blogger award, but failed miserably. Could not figure out which blog to pass on–I can see you had the same challenge. So little time, so many blogs! I do like warm & fuzzy peer recognition, though. It is lovely. It makes me feel better than a snowstorm, which is happening today. (You can tell I love your comment, right? Wonderful blog and fantastic pictures…surely I will not sleep tonight… lol…)
There should be a like button on replies.
Hi Kathy,
Again, I totally agree and have been there myself. I thanked for the award and claimed lack of tech skills (which is true actually) to know how to put the darn thingy (award) ON my blog in the first place – to have to pass it on to only 7 others? Couldn’t do it. I also cannot get into the “100 facts about me you didn’t know” deal either. After getting about 7 awards in 3 years (more or less) I am not a fan of them at all. I think if you have somebody you like in the blogosphere you can honor them with a guest post or a mention. The award thing is just too kitchy. I am honored enough people stop in to my blog to read it and leave comments. That says a lot to me!
Hugs
SuZen
Hmmm, SuZen, never thought about claiming lack of technological skills! Isn’t it funny how we’re panting in endless adoration over the first blog award? And then the second time we’re like still thrilled. And the third time we’re like pleased. And the fourth time we’re smiling. By the fifth time, we’re going: This is so cool, but what am I supposed to do now? and the sixth time we’re wrapping it up to “kitchy”. Grinning. We humans. We’re so funny!
I do look at the blogs that the award winners I like recommend. I don’t remember for sure, but I think that’s how I found you. On the other hand, I don’t think I read enough blogs to be able to pass an award on, were I to receive one. I could care about the 10-100 things you didn’t know about the blogger. Good ones write about their experiences and reading them you get to know them organically. Can I have permission to refer potential award bestowers to this post? It covers it all!
You found me through a blog award? Really, Lisa? Perhaps I should re-write this blog from a different perspective! 🙂 You may, oh so certainly, consider this 100% permission to pass on this rambling blogging narrative to all potential award bestowers. I am sending them a virtual kiss, too. Bless you, all potential bestowers and receivers. All who appreciate, and all who choose to kindly and sweetly pass…
I like the ideal of someone giving me an award, but I don’t like the list of things that you have to do to accept the award. I don’t want to have to pass it on to 10 other people. So I don’t post any awards. People just give the award because they have to come up with 10 bloggers. I thank them for the award, but I don’t want to bother people by making them do the pass along thing.
It’s nice when someone gives us an award, I agree. It’s not-so-nice when we don’t feel like reciprocating. Then we internally fuss…and that’s just not cool. Wishing that you have hundreds of readers who eventually come to sit at your blog-hearth daily, awarding you with their precious presence. Blessings, Connie!
I truly appreciate your thoughts Kathy! You’l make everyone happy in this world & we need more of your kind people in this world. Your deserve the awards for your talent. And you are right, everyone in this blogging world is special in their own way – hard to choose any favorites. Thanks for your good thoughts, Kathy.
Dearest Sonali, my sweetest bright light from India: YOU make people happy in the world. YOU know your are so special in the blogging world. YOU are such a kind, caring being shining your God-light everywhere. It’s so hard to choose favorites, when God loves us all… Blessings, my friend.
I can never choose my favorites either…but I do like reading little tidbits about people, and I do usually go check out the favorites on other people’s blogs…but then sometimes I do that just with their blogroll..that’s how I find more interesting people to read. It’s probably how I found you!
It’s fun, isn’t it, Dawn, to read those little tidbits? You think “really? Wow I never knew that!” I am wondering how we found one another, all those years ago. Blogroll? Blog award? Someone mentioning names? It doesn’t matter…I am so glad we found one another. (Especially because I have a place to stay near the Detroit airport when and if the plane refuses to fly to the UP!) tee hee…
Gosh, Kathy, I am with you on this! I used to accept and pass along these awards, until I started getting too many of them and the same ones over and over, only from different people. It’s good of you to share your perspective. Love it, my friend.
Hugs,
Kathy
Glad you liked this perspective, Kathy. I struggled about how to reply. How I struggled! And this morning let the Typing Fingers discern an answer to this dilemma… I am a Big Fan of the Typing Fingers Club. Hugs, hugs, back! Love, Kathy II
Once in a blue moon, I enjoy writing a “random facts about myself” post and appreciate having the Blog Award context in which to situate it. (Otherwise, a post only about inane personal things could ring a little hollow and self-centered, no?) The most difficult part is always paying it forward. I tend to stick close to my established circle of online friends, making new friends slowly and carefully, so my pool of blogs to choose from for future nominations is pretty shallow.
To remedy the situation, I’ve either nominated wildly popular blogs that I know won’t carry the award torch forward (thus effectively quashing the viral blog award in its tracks), or I’ve tried to select newer, “smaller” blogs that haven’t been nominated before. I don’t usually stick to the specified number of blogs I’m supposed to nominate, and I don’t even officially accept most of the awards I’m nominated for anymore. It’s just a once-in-a-while game to play. 😉
Ha ha, Dana, “a post only about inane personal things could ring a little hollow and self-centered, no?” Giggling…of course it wouldn’t! Having just written an inane and self-centered blog during a snowstorm yesterday, I should know. Enjoy your Once in A Blue Moon! We should always follow our hearts in these matters and sometimes our hearts adore blog awards.
I don’t accept awards either and finally wrote on the sidebars that my Blogs are “Award Free” which sounds kinda like the blogs are lousy and not fit for awards, but I had to put it in writing. However, I always appreciate the people who choose me because they don’t realize I can’t accept, and then I have to write to them and apologize profusely, hoping I haven’t hurt anyone’s feelings. But on another note, you weren’t kissing my Bob were you? He got mono when he was 16, and we were going steady. I was careful not to kiss him, but how the heck did he get sick in the first place? Im hoping he wasn’t kissing a red-haired gal behind my back, but I think you would have been quite a bit younger…. PS I love some of the “reject” photos – esp. the Studebaker one.
You guys make me laugh! As if anyone would think your blogs were lousy and not fit for awards, tee hee, SO HARD to express this in a kind and loving way without hurting someone’s feelings. I am wondering whose feelings I hurt with this blog. There are people crying in their morning coffee RIGHT NOW because of me–sniff, sniff–it’s all too sad. No, no, I wasn’t kissing your Bob, I promise. It was a fellow named Glenn–I think–but can’t remember if he had one “n” or two “n’s” in his name. I think he rejected me, but will consult the memory card.
I first thought the awards were really cool and honored me as a blogger. That’s when I first started blogging. Now they seem cumbersome. I get two or three awards a week and I now just thank the sender for graciously granting/nominating for the award.
There are so many hoops to jump through the 7-100 unknown things about me. And the countless number of other bloggers that it must go to. My blog was getting full awards and so was my side bar. I decided they looked a little self-proclaiming and took them all down.
I really appreciate you blog today, because I still get the pangs of guilt, that I really should accept these. But then I really don’t know who all gave me an award anymore. So I ditto everything you said!
Isn’t it strange, Cee, how we so quickly shift our perception around this award honor? First it’s so cool and supportive and heavenly. And then it’s…cumbersome and gosh, we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, do we? I am glad you ditto these sentiments. We’ll have to form a support group. Happy blogging!
I really appreciate your perspective here. I accepted a blogging award, but I also feel like it’s kind of a to-do list, and I did not want to disappoint the nominating blogger. It’s hard when you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by not accepting, and also don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by not nominating them. I don’t read 15 bloggers who post regularly. News sited don’t count, right?
Anyway, I like this post explaining why you won’t accept awards, and – if I need to – may point some folks this way in the future. Hope you’re safe up there. If you stop by my blog any time in the near future, you’ll understand why I pass on well-wishes and feel a bit shell-shocked.
Gosh, think of all the time we spend worrying about whose feelings we’re going to hurt! We’re going to hurt someone’s feelings if we do or don’t do ANYTHING, it sometimes feels like. Please point your blogging populace here, Heather, to this very post. It may hurt their feelings, but then again they may smile a tiny bit. Stay safe on your trip! May no tornadoes pass your way…
You brave souls… I must admit I have been awarded and accepted… it was not an easy decision! I found it easier to accept than to decline! Maybe I will take the backbone I was born with and use it in the future! I hope… they mean well and I have gotten to know some wonderful folks through the awards… it is a two sided-sword… if you ask me! Thanks for your wisdom!
Oh it’s so hard to say no sometimes, isn’t it RaeDi? I think it is. But I’ve been learning that it’s harder yet to say “yes” and not be true to the heart. It IS a two sided sword. I hope this blog isn’t taken as an outright duel against blogging awards. I just wanted to explain what I felt. Appreciate that it sounds like wisdom to your heart.
It was!
Well, hmmm…not sure what I can say here as I do not have a blog and once again am being enlightened about the blog world. I had no idea! Sounds like this rang a bell with many other fellow bloggers though so that is wonderful. Thank you for opening my eyes to a whole new world Kathy 🙂 (kind of sounds like a song doesn’t it…a whole new world!)
Brenda, I could write sixteen thousand more blogs just about blogging. (Remember one guy who commented on that Freshly Pressed blog? He said: A blog about blogging. How original.) It does feel like fellow-bloggers sometimes resonate with some of these issues that are hard to speak aloud–mostly because we suspect it might hurt some feelings and–oh–we don’t want to do that…
I’ve only had one award so far and I accepted it because, hey, I like to try new things. But I also found it a problem for the reasons you describe. The hardest thing was choosing blogs. I said that I like them all otherwise I wouldn’t be reading them. That is perfectly true. I chose ones which were recently added, but didn’t say how recent, but even so I worried inordinately about people I suddenly remembered that I would have included but didn’t.
OTOH I was just a little bit hurt when people declined, even though I completely understand and will do it myself next time. I think if people nominate me and I decline it may hurt them too. So the truth is probably that you honestly can’t make everyone happy, just have to do your best 😀
It IS fun trying new things, Jenny. And you know what I thought after I wrote this? I think I DID accept a blogging award at some time. Just don’t remember any details, so if you don’t remember any details, did it really happen? lol! Isn’t it sad that we do feel a little hurt when people decline, or when they don’t appreciate our blog-children? Like you, am just going to continue to try to do my best, recognizing that we truly can’t appease everyone, darn it all.
I have only accepted one of these awards and that was when I first started. Back then my readership was much lower and I was so very excited that someone appreciated my work so much. The awards that came after that felt like “reruns” … they all require the same thing and I have done that already. I think it is a nice recognition to a new blogger and maybe something I will accept again a long way down the road to update my “me facts” or pass it on to some newbies.
Today, that blogging excitement comes in other forms. I feel very honored when another blogger refers people to one of my posts, writes a meaningful comment on mine, includes me in their blogroll, adds me to their follow list, … or just hits the like button, because then I know people are reading my words and appreciating my work. I don’t need an award to blog …
We sure do get excited when we have baby blogs and get that first appreciation and feedback! We’re like baby bloggers ourselves, so darn thrilled! But then the reruns come on and we’re less thrilled, and then the reruns keep reappearing, and… I like how you shared that your blogging excitement comes in other forms. That is so true. Maybe we don’t become less excited–our excitement simply changes forms. Thanks, bearyweather.
giggling this morning…
it is a wonder that Freshly pressed doesn’t give you a small image to put on your page, to line up like trophies, awards…
this had me dreaming all night of WHAT awards are and fires and dancing across the flood at the tree place and counting the pretty stones just under the surface of the frigid water and forgetting to attend the awards because i was looking at the awards of the budding trees rubbing together above my head
Good question, Elisa…wow, you hit me with a big question mark concerning the Freshly Pressed hoopla. Would I put up that small image? Would I cave? Would I? Maybe…
What dreams! I love that budding trees rubbing together can be an award…
Wonder if some of us caught a Silly Bug?
Kathy, reading all of this with great interest and feeling exactly like Susan D 🙂
Awww shucks, Colleen. **grin** OK, then you get the same answer that I typed to Susan D. Let me go retrieve it. YOU are an award, you are, you are, you definitely are.
Look at all these wonderful comments! That is really an “award” in itself. One of the best parts of blogging, I am learning, is how it is giving me a way of meeting new people and enjoying their thoughts and talents and exchanging viewpoints with new blogging friends. Kathy, with all these great positive responses that you regularly earn, I would say that is a far greater prize and I admire that.
Patty, isn’t it great when folks gather in our blogging living rooms and share of themselves with comments? I swear the comments are as interesting–and sometimes even more so–than the original blog! I am honored that folks stop by and share their heart. It is indeed a great reward. (I am honored that YOU stopped by and shared yourself, thank you.)
Obviously, this is quite a hot topic! When I received the first of the few awards I have been given, I was thrilled. Validated. It felt like a wonderful pat on the back. And it is that, but then it comes to thinking of new things about me to say (I think I’ve already left little to the imagination) and who to pass the award on to – knowing some would rather not receive them. I think now I’ve concluded that the pats on the back I get from those who take the time to comment and to follow my blog are sufficient. I blog because I need the outlet, because I love the satisfaction of putting my words out there, and yes, to get those pats on the back. But I will never ever be a writer of noteworthy prose, I will never publish a novel, or a work of non-fiction. I will never publish anything but my blog, and having bloggy friends as a result is the biggest award one could ever receive. You put it ever so graciously. Thank you.
My goodness, Carol, this topic was so hot that it made the Hot Potato game look like child’s play! I love what you wrote here. You know what counts. You know what matters. Bowing deeply to your wisdom. Love, Kathy
Hi Kathy! I was going to nominate you for the Versatile Bloggers Award, but saw this 😛 I see what you’re saying though! You don’t really need any awards anyway, your blog is 100% lovely!
Dear Somersaulting, thank you, thank you! I DO appreciate that you like this blog and that you thought of nominating me. To me–that means everything. I am now taking your virtual award of kindness and sending you a virtual hug! Happy day to you… and thank you again.
Thank you for the hug!! It was my pleasure. 😀 Happy Easter to you and happy blogging 🙂
I was trying to find a way of respectfully declining awards and find some other opinions on the topic, and I found your post. I love your writing style, and your rejected photos. Wonderful blog, I’m happy I stumbled upon it!