Thursday, August 11, 2011

WHERE HAVE ALL THE BLOGGERS GONE....


I have this song lingering in my brain, and every now and then it pops up.  It was a song from the early 60's made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary.  By the time I was a child playing in the 70's it was already a classic that was constantly being played on the “oldies” station.  It was called “Where have all the flowers gone”.  Haunting tune, I loved it so much as a child.

I hadn’t thought of that song for years, until the other day when I caught myself humming it in the shower but I had, for some reason, replaced the word “flowers” with the word “bloggers”.  It went something like this:

Where have all the bloggers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the bloggers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the bloggers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

If you don’t know the song, I highly recommend that you Youtube it. Perhaps, a tad sad but a beautiful song nonetheless.

Blogland has been bothering me lately, especially when I view my blogroll.  So many of my favourite bloggers have gone awol and I am missing them.  In fact, I am downright concerned and worried about some of them.

It’s been almost four months since Andrea from Maundering Mutterer stopped blogging.  I fell in love with her straightforwardness.  Living in Africa, educating her loyal followers on life there, teaching me things I never new, sharing her heartaches, such as her mother passing of cancer, her finding out she had the same cancer, her kind heart that adopted a wide range of animals her mother left behind, the nasty brother who was all for the money, and her finding the strength to take him on.  I think of her often and hope that she won her battle against the cancer.

Then there was “J”, also known as the International Woman of Mystery.  Her blog started off as an expat from the US living abroad in Europe.  She had been there for nine years and it was her tale of life and seeking love over there.  Abruptly, her world changed when her job transferred her back to Boston. She was having culture shock living back in the US, she was mourning the loss of her life in Europe, she was trying to fit in, she had lost her beloved grandfather and she was coming to terms with the changes in her family and personal life. She was one of those ones I wanted to hug and tell them it would be all okay.

And then Deborah from the Adventures in Ceredo, one of my first and most loyal followers, broke off from blogging.  She only posted a pic or two per week, but I looked forward to seeing them.  I knew that was all she was able to give of herself, and I felt that it was such a precious part of her. I always anticipated a comment from her on each post and am sad that I don’t see her in my feedjit anymore.  It was like losing a friend and I wish so much for her.

There have been others that have gone MIA that I think about often too, like:

Hannah from Erratic Questions about a Simple Life - I was just getting to know her.

And Tracy from Life's Little Stepping Stones

And let’s not forget the lovely Paul from I took the Road Less Traveled  He was one of my favourites and I often hope that his wife’s pregnancy went well, and that hopefully, he is just so happily involved with the newness of fatherhood that he doesn’t have time for the demands of blogland

And Bruce Johnson... I could always count on a daily giggle from him.

There are many more, I am afraid to say...

It’s funny how involved you can get into a stranger’s life and how much it effects your life when they are struggling or happy, sad or delighted. Eventually, they work their way into your heart and become your equal, your little sister, your support system, the older brother, the girl next door, the funny guy at the party, a mother figure, but mostly your friend.

So for Andrea, “J”, Deborah, Hannah, Tracy, Paul, Bruce and all the others, I hope you are safe, you are happy, and that life is so wonderful you have no need for blogland, but mostly I want to thank you for touching my life, you have impacted me in ways words cannot describe.

Until Next Time.

Tracy

20 comments:

  1. I know what you mean. There's been a few on my list too, including Tracy. But sometimes life just gets ahead of your ability to keep up. I wish them well and say a prayer once in a while, and keep a light on in the window.

    On the song, while I have heard the PP&M version (which I think is the original), I knew it best by Peter and Gordon. One of those calm, wistful tunes that you don't realize you like until you catch yourself humming it one day and wonder "where did THAT come from?" Nice job on the alternate words.

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  2. I have been thinking the same thing and you just re winded me about Paul. I had only just found him before he disappeared.
    I can tell you that the darling Bruce has had some health challenges and the past few weeks has been out in the wilderness with friends and Tucker catching fish. Hopefully plenty of blog materiel coming from that trip
    I guess Blogger is just a reflection on life with people coming into and out of our lives often leaving us to miss them

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  3. I honestly get panicky when bloggers go MIA. Then, I get sad. We all become friends and a support system for one another. There are some blogging friends I worry about, too, and just hope they are okay.

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  4. So glad I was not on the list!

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  5. by the way anonymous was me melissa....blogger won,t let me sign in as mia bella vintage mmmmmis that because i haven't blogged in an eon?

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  6. I too have a few that have been MIA. Two I know why but it's been much too long but Jenner at Jenerally Speaking just vanished and she wrote every single day about her Pea Pod little girl. Last she was so excited to be going camping on Memorial Day weekend. Never heard another thing. I sure hope nothing bad happened. We do get so involved with our blog friends that they become part of our lives too. Good post.

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  7. oh man, i have one bloggy friend, nari, who stopped blogging & then came back a few months later to say that her husband had died suddenly. holy shit, it leaves me feeling nervous when i notice someone's gone missing.

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  8. I really miss Hannah, too. She was one of the bloggers that started around the same time that I did so I feel a special kinship to her besides her being just a love.

    I know that Jewels has kept a bit in touch with Bruce and he's okay, but just busy because I was concerned as well.

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  9. Isn't it crazy that we can get to know some people so well, yet we don't even know what they look like? I know what you mean about losing bloggy friends, it has happened to me too, yet I am very happy for the new ones I found. I remember Bruce was always leaving snazzy comments. I guess life takes up all our time, and it's not always for the better. Glad you're still around though chica :)

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  10. Dang it! My comment didn't post. Anyway, I was wondering about Hannah myself. I enjoyed her blog. It is harder to blog in the summer when there is so much to do outside. I hope all of them are just busy with life and will pop back into blogging world soon!

    I am still around btw--just crazy busy at work. It is exhausting.

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  11. Missing Hannah and "J" as well. "J" esp. because she only lives about 45 minutes from me. I wonder if she just needs a hug. :)

    (Yes. From a virtual stranger. Weird, I get it...movin' on...)

    I did know about Nari, she had actually won a contest of mine, and had emailed me a thank you along with a brief explanation of what had happened. I have one other who's been MIA for about 2 weeks.

    Here's hoping she's on a lavish vacation.

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  12. I loved this post because I have been so touched by the lives of people I've met on here. You said it perfectly...and I'm sorry I never got to know your MIA listed bloggers.

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  13. You guys rock in the comment department... thank you so much for giving me your thoughts, and Melissa, I thought about adding you to the roster but than I knew where you were thankfully!!! and Julianna, if you ever get to see J, give her a great big hug for me!

    love ya all

    xxoo

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  14. I was wondering about Paul as well. I started following him not long ago. He's probably very busy with his new father mission. I'm sure he'll be back when he can :)

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  15. I feel so guilty for leaving abruptly a few months ago after reading this! All I can say is that people do have their reasons for going MIA but there is hope that they'll come back someday. I did anyway lol!

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  16. I guess blogging is sort of a cyclical thing. Every year or two many bloggers turn over, whether we like it or not, and a whole new crop comes along.

    By the way... thanks so much for your awesome comment about my e-book on my blog. You'll always be one of my favorites!

    SD
    TheSimpleDude.com

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  17. long time passes...

    me an' tucker are working on some new stuff!

    thanks so much for the shout out...

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  18. There are a few I never see anymore either.
    I wonder how they are. But, I know when things get busy it can be hard to find time to write here.

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  19. And let’s not forget the lovely Paul from I took the Road Less Traveled He was one of my favourites and I often hope that his wife’s pregnancy went well, and that hopefully, he is just so happily involved with the newness of fatherhood that he doesn’t have time for the demands of blogland
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