OK with online obscurity

About three years ago, I started writing this blog as a way to fill the void created by no longer having a newspaper column I could write. And, of course, I envisioned a day when thousands of people would read and comment on what I eventually named Brome Hill.

That hasn’t happened. At least not yet. I haven’t even cracked the ranks of bloggers who have been recognized by the editors at WordPress with the Freshly Pressed designation.

On a good day, 100 or so people check in to read whatever is posted here. The number of readers ebbs and flows with the frequency — or infrequency — of the items that are posted.

This blog is followed by 74 readers who have subscribed for email alerts whenever something new is posted. For the most part, these are people I know. (Hi, Mom.) But then there are the 183 other WordPress bloggers who follow Brome Hill. They include K.L. Register, 1 SIGFRIDSSON, Be Like Water and Subdued Flamboyance, all of whom have subscribed this month.

Following lots of other bloggers is a way of building your audience, according to WordPress. But spending a lot of time reading other blogs is not something I’ve done for the most part. I’m lucky to have set aside enough time to write something before moving on to whatever else has to be done during the day.

But I am curious whenever I get a notice that another blogger has subscribed to Brome Hill. Who is this person? Why did she subscribe? What kind of scam is he running with his promises to help start successful online businesses? How did she find me? What did I write that he liked? Why would a poet from India want to read what I have to say?

Of the newest crop of subscribers, K.L. Register appears to be the one with whom I would best identify. She describes herself as a fun-loving farm girl, chemist and dentist from Savannah, Georgia. She says she hates macaroni and cheese, but loves spaghetti.

Maybe I should follow her blog. But I won’t.

For me, blogging has become a way to keep sharp the writing skills I worked a long time to develop. It’s a discipline. Sort of like going to the gym every day. If an audience develops and growing numbers of people want to read what I have to say, that would be great.

But that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to develop the discipline of taking an hour or two every day and writing 500 words. And the ultimate goal is to someday use that discipline to write something more ambitious than this blog.

Thank you for checking in on today’s workout.