Subscribing

On a good day, this blog can get... well, up to 100 hits if something's been published on a popular Mommyblogging site, but generally, about 30 or so people.  And that's cool.  I like those people.

But here's the thing:  there are only 8 subscribers to email updates.  Plus 10 followers.  And there's some overlap there that I don't feel like taking the time to figure out right now.  And I love those people.

Imagine, if you will, that you were going to give a speech.  You knew that there would be at least 8 people there.  Or at least you knew they knew about your speech and would probably come.  But there could be 30 people.  Or 100 people could show up. 

Ever spoken in front of 100 people?  I have.  When I was a chaplain at Cook Forest State Park, I once had almost exactly that (105) at an outdoor amphitheater.  It felt like a whole lot of people.  Because I was chaplain for 2 parks, I've also had the experience (the day after a flood) of speaking under a pine tree to 6 people.  Also cool, but a totally different experience than speaking to 100 on a hillside.

This is a loose parallel to what this blog feels like to me sometimes.  I don't write nonsense on here- at least I don't think so.  If you input your e-mail over on the right there, it's not as if your inbox will be inundated by junkmail from me.  It will simply tell you when I add something to the blog.  And why would that be bad? 

But it does one other thing:  it lets me know that you're out there.  Not just randomly passing through (though how anyone could do that I'm not sure, but anyway), but actuallymaybeprobably going to read what I write.  And I know this is hard to believe, but the higher that number goes, the more it makes me want to take the time to write something nice for everyone.  And PS- it's one less thing for you to remember or bookmark.

Weird lecture over.  Please, leave your address.  It will make me smile.  Isn't that reason enough?