I will occasionally visit other blogs where I will read a post from time to time. There is one that I have read in the past where it seems to me that the author has a group of friends and family that visit regularly and post comments. They do it quite frequently. I know this since I read it every so often and have noticed. I am not a member of this authors friend and family circle but I sometimes enjoy the posts she has written. I even thought the reader support was something the author might appreciate since it's always a thrill to me to think someone might have visited my space here. And I actually like comments when they appear.
Recently, I realized I had ventured into a situation and may have made the mistake of invading that authors circle. I didn't realize it at the time. When it was all over and done I had the fleeting feeling of high school. Do you know the instance I might be talking about? There is always a group of friends that are cool, pretty and popular. The group that everyone would like to be a part of and aspire to be like but can't. There seems to be no way to get close to joining but somehow at a certain point you find yourself standing in that popular, pretty, cool group. They are all talking and you are there and you make the mistake of joining in. It all seems so natural but as soon as you say anything everyone goes silent and stares at you as if there has been a horrible mistake made. A retort is answered back and you slink away from the circle knowing you've blown your chance of joining yet again. You will never be part of this group...as if you really wanted to. You were only making conversation like everyone else. Right? Sure.
So I had read a particular post where this author had posted (what I would call) a rant about the weather. I do this all the time myself. I thought I could relate. It was on January 19, 2012. It was the same day I had gone out and sat directly in the glorious 75 degree sun after the temperatures had been around 33. It had finally warmed up! She on the other hand had posted a picture of her cell phone with the 75 degrees boldly visible as if it was appalling. She wrote..."this blog is becoming a long sarcastic complaint about the weather but...(picture of cell phone here). It's January...at least some frost..."
She is a misplaced northerner. She thought it was too warm and should be much colder, much longer. That is when I made the fatal mistake of commenting. I said, "As strongly as you feel about the heat is how strongly I feel about the cold. I kinda understand your relationship with the weather but you have it backwards. ; )"
I didn't think anything of the comment since I thought it had been lighthearted. I had included the smiley face and all. Maybe not so much. I went back to read again a few days later and found she had replied to my comment. She said, "Yeah. I know people like you. I'm happy for you."
That is when I realized I had stepped into the inner circle when I shouldn't have. I realized the other commenters where all being sympathetic and giving the poor, poor girl soothing pats on the back and telling her how they felt for her type-of-comments about having to endure the atrocious heat.
Maybe my comment was truly out of line even if I didn't mean it to be. I was invading that guarded inner circle. I got the blank stares and jolting retort I deserved. I'll not be visiting the site anytime soon. I mean really.
Ouch. People like me.
TT
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