I have an irrational, disproportionate discomfort with being the last person to comment or ask a question before the end of a class.In high school and college I would start watching the clock at about ten minutes before the class ended, and no matter how badly I wanted to clarify something, add my insight or answer a question that seemed to be stumping everybody else, I wouldn't let myself do it. Because it might be the last comment of the class. Gasp! And oh dear if it turns out that the question I asked 16 minutes before class ended winds up being the last question. Uugghh! Now I go through this same clock-watching exercise in Sunday School and Relief Society. Thank goodness I wear a watch.
This morning as I suggested a brilliant name for my cousin's fish on her blog, I realized that I kind of have the opposite thing going on for me in cyberspace. If I'm not the first to comment, I pretty much won't do it.
I think it might boil down to the pressure of having to be clever. I can't cope with it. (It's why I'm grateful to have a blog readership of four.)
If I ask the last question it will be what echoes in everyone's brains as they walk out of class. Like saving your bacon for the last bite so you walk away from the table with a bacon-flavored tongue (yumm), but in a bad way. If I comment when others have already typed their witty, loving, insightful words, well... I guess I just won't.
What does this say about my personality? Maybe I should work on this? Well, add it to the list.
9 comments:
I rarely comment (or blog for that matter) because I am not witty or creative and fear that people will wonder why they wasted time even bothering with my posts. Fortunately I only have 2 readers to disappoint.
Please keep posting and commenting. You always give me something about which to think.
Is this under the same heading as when someone bares their testimony and then no one else stirs for maybe ten minutes?
I think we have to lay all this down. Life's too short. Ask the question.
I'd leave a comment but two people have already commented before me and if you really do have a readership of four my comment could possibly be the last one . . .
so, no comment.
I have no comment other than to say I love your questions, they are jewels in the expanse of cyberspace.
Also I want to say thank you for the 1,000 words a day. I was just catching up and it is a novel of great love, with a wonderful view of eternity.
Ask the questions, and then reJOICE that the last moment was centered on your awesome insight. Because I'm sure coming from you, it would be awesome.
Although I must say, I'm pretty impressed with your humility. I mostly think, 'AACK! Call on me quick, otherwise I'll NEVER be able to say the perfect comment I have brewing up here, and if I don't get it out my brain might explode!"
I'm actually working on that, sadly, and have to remind myself to keep to 2 comments, max, in SS or RS. And then if one week I go crazy and make 3 comments, I repent the next week by forcing myself to say nothing at all. At institute, I was such a weenie in class once that I didn't say a word for a solid month.
Holy cow, I've never written it all out like that before. Clearly I have commenting issues too. What a bunch of crazies we are.
FYI, I have no such rules about commenting on blogs. I can (and often do) comment on somebody's blog all. day. long. I am like you in that I like to comment early on, but unlike you, the reason is because if I am the 86th commenter, or something, I fear nobody will bother to read what I wrote. See, there's that chatty pride again...
Gosh I know how you feel. Try being around Matt & Bo for a night. Except I must say that some witty comments should have a place. You would have loved the conversation when they came up with the see through toilet tank and decided to name it the C through PO. So I guess I have to say just enjoy it. It's for your benefit anyway. If someone tells a joke alone in the forest does it make a laugh?
I'm listening. No comment at this time. Thank you.
You are so cool, Sariah. I normally only have one comment that feels good enough to share, but I either wait until the end to get up the guts to share it, or don't share it at all. I love it that you have to rein in your commenting! Wish you were in my ward . . .
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