We aren’t people anymore.
Have you noticed?
We’re the Wonderful Bloggers of OZ.
When you read an article or post or tweet, look at the language. “Bloggers”. Like some group of lost writers who crashed a hot air balloon, landing in a bizarre world: The Blogosphere.
We perform tricks to dazzle—with words and photos that aren’t quite as real as we’d make them out to be.
Because, sometimes, your dog’s foot is in the background of that perfect tulip shot and needs to be cropped out. Sometimes that amazing idea gets caught in a tornado and thoughts whirl around and around until you plop down near a Technicolor yellow brick road.
You land on a witch and get her sparkly shoes (which are wicked cool). So there’s that. But there are flying monkeys to watch out for. So there’s that, too.
The Blogosphere can be a scary place.
It’s filled with dangers and strangers but also with wonderful people who rally around you and tell you how awesome you are for arriving here with your blog.
There are always a few who are on the same journey and are more than happy to skip along that brick road with you even though there are lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my.
When we get to The Emerald City Blog, and see the “Blogger of Oz” is just a man behind a curtain, we will show compassion.
Why?
Because none of us are wizards. We are human—vulnerable and lost and busy and stressed and trying to make the Blogosphere think we have our shit together. That we are the Great and Powerful Oz.
So, as I tag this post with “bloggers”, I know that you are, indeed, fellow travelers on this blogging journey. Or writing journey. Or both. But I do know, and do keep in the forefront of my mind, that you are people.
Here’s the thing I think we sometimes forget:
We ARE people. We HAVE blogs.
We are not our blogs.
We are human beings. (Weird, introverted, writer-types, some of us, but still.)
Just remember, gentle readers, there is a person behind the screen.
If you need a break, just close your eyes, click your mouse 3 times, and walk away. We’ll be here when you get back–we’ve got water balloons for the Witch of the West and flaming potatoes to fight the flying monkeys.
I hear that loud and clear! 🙂 I’m with you.
I am not a number!
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WE WANT INFORMATION! (Be seeing you…) 😉
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love the ending most – click three times if you need that break.
and true whole layered analogy with wizard of Oz was great – well done
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Thanks. 🙂 *clicks 3 times* *waits for water balloon fight*
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hahah
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i’ll get you my pretty …
and your little BLOG too
😳
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Good one. 😂
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I always hated those flying monkeys. Weird, introverted writer-types? These are my people. Love the way your mind works, Sarah!
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The mind is a funny thing, my friend. Glad someone appreciates my crazy writerly one. 😜 (I know. The flying monkeys were just weird and creepy.)
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A great reminder, Sarah. We all have many imperfect things we are juggling, while we try to create a perfect post. Blogging is a great stress reliever for me. Not an escape, but a way to balance my imperfect world.
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I love that you find balance in an imperfect world creating “perfect” posts. That’s awesome. I think it’s split in the blogosphere–people for whom blogging relieves stress vs causes stress. Of course there are in-betweens, as well. And times when blogging is different depending on what’s going on in the person’s life at the time. Just to make things more complicated. 🙂
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<__>
Not everyone is a human…
Racial issues aside ;), I totally agree. I pretend like I have my crap together all the time, while internally, I’m freaking out. But if I don’t pretend, it seeps into my relationships and then other people (namely my husband) get crabby. And that’s not good for his blood pressure. I guess since that’s the natural course of my life, I present myself that way online too.
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Your darn wordpress commenting system totally destroyed my shifting glances. Do code tags work? (feel free to delete this comment…
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What about pre tags? (You can delete this too!)
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I can’t. I mean, I *can* but I don’t want to. I love your shifting glances. Too awesome to delete.
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Well, my friend, you do a damn good job of pretending. And the Oscar goes to… Honestly, you’re like the most have-my-shit-together person I know. Internally freaking out? This new information is hurting my brain.
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A brilliant post, Sarah, we are indeed people behind our blogs with our own personalities, ideas and thoughts.
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Thanks, Robbie. 🙂 It’s true. And, sometimes, difficult to remember that when scrolling through so many blogs and reading so many posts. (It’s worse on social media, in my opinion, but blogging can get a bit Man-Behind-the-Curtain, too.)
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What? There are real people writing all these posts! Who’d have thought? 🙂
It’s nice to hear from you again, Sarah. I hope you are doing well.
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I know, right? 🙂 Sometimes it’s just reading so many blogs can be overwhelming and it begins to feel like a string of posts instead of individuals with their own life stuff going on. (Also, sometimes it’s easy for people to hide behind their screens to be cruel. Not many in the blogosphere, thankfully.)
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I enjoy finding out more about the people behind the words. I guess that’s why the number I follow and the number of followers is quite small compared to many. I’m fortunate that I’ve had few negatives in the blogosphere or anywhere in the online world for that matter, but I’ve seen some nastiness on Fb and wonder at its point. We should life each other up rather than pull each other down. Have a great day, Sarah. Hugs. 💖
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I have quite a small number of followers, too. Compared to most bloggers. *shrug* That’s okay by me. I’ve always liked my small blog with its small number of readers. I don’t run across too much negativity personally on here but I’ve seen a lot. I, like you, have seen most of the cruelty & nastiness on social media. Perhaps because bloggers can control which comments get approved. ? I don’t understand why people do it but, as I said, it’s easier when you’re hiding behind a screen (or you’re not thinking there’s a person behind the other screen).
Here’s to more lifting each other up. 💗
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I’ll drink to that, Sarah. I could do with some lifting today. I think heavy lifting may be required. LOL. 💖🌻
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Not a problem. ✨
*waves magic wand*
*Norah is lifted up*
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Love, love this. And the analogies. Nice to see you Lady, lol. Hoping all is well in your neck of the woods. ❤
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Thanks, lovely. ❤ I'm walking okay, trying to avoid tripping on roots and faceplanting or being eaten by a bear.
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Oye! Take it easy girl. And it’s always a lovely treat when your come by for a sneak visit. 🙂 xx
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Lovely post, Sarah … And whose legs are those in your image?
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Thanks, Anne. (Why, they belong to the Wicked Witch of the East, of course. 😉 A fun Halloween decoration my mother sewed years ago. I stuck them under the fridge, sofas, dressers and whatnot because I’m easily amused.)
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It’s certainly effective.
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The person behind the screen is definitely worth remembering…
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Agreed. 🙂
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🙂
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I want my shoes back! Lol, actually I only wear Keens and winter boots so I doubt anyone wants my shoes (but if I see red Keens…)
A blog is a tool for building literary community. It’s a tool of communication. It’s about the journey and the people skipping down the yellow brick road, 99 words at a time 😉
Good to see you (behind your screen), Sarah!
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“One day!” Queen Norah shouted as she ran into the hills.
Far away, in The Doldrums, Sarah threw her computer out the window. “I can’t make this ending work!” After a beer, she went to retrieve it. “Oh dear. It seems my laptop has landed on someone. That can’t be good.”
But it was.
Reaching for the screen, Sarah was whisked away to the Kingdom of Oz. Everyone was celebrating. Norah bounded up with Charli (who wore Keens on her furry feet), and thanked Sarah for smooshing the Wicked Witch, thereby giving Oz back to its rightful rulers—the koalas.
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Ha, ha! Perfect play!
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🙂🙃
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That should be the last two prompts in one 99. 🐨 👑 I tried to make the red Keens available for you from the wicked witch but…99 words. And time. So here you are. 🙂 Good to see you, too, person behind the screen.
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Remind me, Sarah… Which drugs are you on?
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The ones I don’t share. You get nothing! 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 Suffer in OZ without the drugs!
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And there’s all the evidence I need…
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*sigh* We’ve been through this…
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