Telling the Truth, Mainly

A friend asked recently, “Why do you blog? It’s for the numbers, right?”

No.

Numbers are nice. I won’t pretend I don’t look at them. Several times a day, in fact. Compulsively. As one who for a long time was her own audience, I’m delighted by every little hit.

Better than numbers, however, are what the numbers represent: people who take the time and make the effort to visit, read, subscribe, like, and comment. People I’ve gotten to know and like through reading their blogs. People who boost my morale and my ego.

Possibly more of the latter than is good for me, but that’s no reason to stop.

Anyway, I’ve wanted for a long time to say thanks, and now I’m saying it: Thanks.

*

A recent post concerned my being behind in reading, writing, and a number of other activities. It occurs to me, not for the first time, that sharing my troubles, especially those I myself generate, might not be wise.

As I said, people read these posts. They might get the wrong idea.

So, once more, I shall explain: Like Mr. Mark Twain, I tell the truth—mainly.

In other words, it’s never as quite bad as I say it is. Except when I lock the keys in the car.

I periodically vow to stop yowling about my little quirks, but doing so would raise another problem: I wouldn’t have much to write about.

Posts would go something like this:

*

The new refrigerator didn’t come again today, so we are still surviving on microwaved frozen entrees (the freezer works), P. Terry burgers, Wendy’s salads, and Chinese take-out.

[At one time, I could have made that into lively, amusing fiction. But I’ve lost all enthusiasm for the topic. David kindly left work and brought me a McDonald’s burger for lunch today. I think that’s about the point at which enthusiasm began to leak.]

*

On Saturday afternoon, our right front tire began to unravel at 60 mph in the middle lane of IH-35. It went flap-flap-flap, and we knew intuitively that the rubber had met the road and intended to take up residence there. Fortunately for all southbound traffic, it didn’t abandon us completely. We exited the freeway, crept back home, and set out again in the other car. The ailing vehicle is spending the night at the tire store, being completely reshod.

*

There are the facts, no yowling, no self-recriminations, just the happenings of the past week. Not the stuff of which blogs are made.

One thing did happen today that I would love to post. The bare naked facts, lacking all embellishment, would raise laughter from stones. I’ve been all giggly ever since I hung up the phone. Or perhaps since I relayed the story to David. He didn’t laugh, but I saw the corner of his mouth turn up. That was just after I said, “You were right all along, and you may now say, ‘I told you so.'”

But as much as I want to share, I can’t. Won’t. I am a good, kind, generous, compassionate person of maximum integrity, and I cannot in good conscience send that story into cyberspace. No matter how much the main character deserves it.

What I can do is to tuck it away, let it age, and bring it out again as fiction.

I’ve spent all afternoon trying to figure out how to fit it into my current novel in progress.

But if that doesn’t work, stay tuned. All this laughter is shaking my integrity to its very core. Sooner or later, it’s bound to crack.

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