The Blogmother

If there was a kind of medal to be won on the topic of How to alienate people and make enemies, then I guess I could easily win a gold medal there. It is not that I took any tips from the Simon Pegg (from Shaun of the Dead fame) movie on the same topic. But somehow this is how I feel sometimes. And this is because I speak the truth which is not very well received by people. People tend to like a more sugar coated talk especially when it is concerning them. Moreover, I can confess that sometimes I do not openly appreciate someone directly on his/her face even when they deserve it. I say to myself this is how they are supposed to be thus no need for any appreciation. But when it comes to criticizing, I tend to be pretty vocal about it. I know it is wrong and I keep trying myself to be more user-friendly.

Last week was my blog’s one year anniversary. I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that I could maintain it for so long. I really thank all the people from the bottom of my heart who had been visiting, commenting and giving me feedback on the blog. It feels great to connect to like-minded people. 

Just like followers of a faith have a Godfather and a Godmother in the world, I also have a self appointed Blogfather and Blogmother in the Blogosphere. I am not a big celebration guy but on the occasion of completing one year of blogging, I would like to dedicate this post to The Blogmother. I feel that this thing had been long due for her.

It was a warm summer evening …. (a Sheldon Cooper start-up) ….not circa 600 B.C in ancient Greece but of August 2005 in modern day Germany. An intern starting his stint at a big name in the IT industry near Stuttgart. Far away from home, in a new town with no family or friends, trying to adjust in the new culture of a foreign land. With a new laptop bought by the first salary of his internship, he started spending his late evenings with his much prized but a little overpriced possession. After reading about Blogosphere in a lecture he attended a few months back at the university, he started exploring the Indian Blog scene after his dinner every night just to catch up on what is going in India. After reading a few blogs by people unknown to him, he came across an Indian blogger sitting far away in another foreign land of Singapore. He found some of the posts interesting on that blog. That interest made him read even the older posts on the blog and he started from post number 1. That was year 2005 and now it is 2012 and this guy is still a regular on that blog. I am sure some of you might have guessed the blogger by now and for the rest, that Blogmother is none other than Sayesha. If you read blogs regularly and still asking who Sayesha, then my friend it is the right time to switch off that PC or laptop or mac or tablet or whatever you use to browse the net and give it a proper burial. Google it, and the first link will take you there.

Initially, when I started following her blog, I never used to comment. I don’t know why. Then sometimes when I wanted to comment, the blog used to block anonymous comments. Then, after a long hide and seek, I started commenting occasionally on a few posts now and then but always as an anonymous user. It was only after I finally made my own blog last year that I started commented with a name tag. But even those anonymous comments were never nasty. I am not that kind of a person or stalker. I never sent an email or contacted her to just send even 2 lines of appreciation but kept enjoying all the blog posts all these years. I sometimes feel a little guilty for not appreciating something one deserved all this time. But what can I say, this is just being me. I also believe that subah ka bhoola agar shaam ko ghar aa jaye to use bhoola nahin kehte.

It had been a long journey following The Blogmother, right from when she was a student, her college life with awesome friends, then leaving the engineering job and taking a break from it to find her true calling, finally being an editor, then starting the married life with a great partner and now being an actual mother with some tussle with destiny and the almighty for her kiddo. It had been truly a roller coaster ride.

Also, it is not just by chance or for any other reason that I have been following her blog for all these years. There are a few characteristics which I admire or like to see in blogs which her blogs fulfilled. That is another reason for this long admiration. Here is a small list for the reasons:

• Frequent Posts: I think the initial hook to the blog was because of the regular posts. A post almost everyday and at least 8 out of 10 of them entertaining.
• Never a depressing post: I don’t know how can someone do it but I don’t remember any post all these years which even gave a hint of depression on her part. Even the initial posts about her kiddo’s struggle were written in high spirits.
• No affiliations to any sites: I had never ever seen her endorsing any external website or promoting her own blog on other websites. The success of her blog is by true word of mouth and therefore a genuine fan following.
• No advertisements: Since day one, I don’t think I had ever seen a flashy commercial or an annoying advertisement on the blog with an aim to make money out of it.
• No unnecessary photos: There is hardly any norm she follows on her blog which other blog gurus suggest. There is never a random picture on every post like many bloggers post.
• No tweeter: Down to earth blogging without getting the celebrity status to her head. Therefore, not getting into tweeting and posting smart-ass comments every few minutes.
• Direct from heart: And last but not the least is that each post seems to be directly from the heart, genuine writing and not forced one. Not writing about a topic just because it is top on the tweet.

It is not that I don’t read blogs which does not fulfill my above mentioned criteria, but they are just things I look forward in blogs.

Moreover, there can be only one Blogmother. My best wishes to her blog and family.

And a little happy birthday this novice blog ! :)