For The Love of Fellow Foodies

I’m less than two months, eight (was 10 until Blogger miss-hap) blog followers and 190 Twitter followers into my Blogging Life and last night, in a typical female tantrum way as I watched Blue’s great start in the Eurovision song content fade to oblivion, I nearly deleted the whole thing and gave it up for a bad job.  I hadn’t been drinking (for once I hear you cry), I was just being self-centered and feeling utterly sorry for myself.

I’ve spent the last 8 years of my life, since leaving university, looking for my passion in life.  Food was always there as a passion, it wakes me up, cheers me up and gets my creativity flowing, but it wasn’t until I decided to put pen to paper, inspired by a decidedly retro pot of vanilla, that I felt like I’d truly found my vocation.   I love it.  My friends, when I dared to show my blog to a couple of them, were full of encouragement, support and compliments.

But last night, as I read the many, many blogs I follow, I felt very, very insignificant.  I was proud of my 10 followers (one of which is me, the other is hubby), of my 194 hits in one day (not bad for a blog less than two months old), but last night, I felt like I, it, wasn’t good enough, that perhaps I was being laughed at.  Did these 194 people not like what they see?  But then they do keep coming back, with 50 hits per day on the days on don’t post (sadly, I’m addicted to the stats button).  Either way, I was blue.  No one else wanted to follow me.  That 8 (or 10) is going nowhere.  I felt like the last kid to be picked for the team.

I woke up this morning feeling the same, and went to my kitchen to make Granola for a lady who won it in a Bake Sale.  I tipped the maple syrup in my tea instead of the mixing bowl and burnt the oats.  Sod it.  I chucked the lot in the bin.

I turned to twitter, always some fun ramblings on there to cheer me up.  And there I found the kindness of folk.  I didn’t moan (well, not much), just interacted with other foodies and realized just how lovely they are.  What I have stumbled upon is a group of people, so fun, friendly and talented.  People who are happy to read my ramblings on food, and chat back.  I’ve been struck by just how fabulous these people are.  And to say it is a hugely competitive area, to get your blog noticed and read, and mostly written by women, it’s not bitchy at all.  It supportive, helpful, friendly, we promote one another, we make each other laugh, think, ponder.  I’m going to make a cake to celebrate.

So I’m going to keep writing my little blog.  I’m so over the mardy I had last night (not from the Midlands?  It means I had a sulk).  I love the followers I have and other followers will come.  Those who already read will hit that little button in time.  And if not?  Well, I’ll continue to bake cakes, roast meats, potter in my garden and eat in restaurants.  And I’ll continue to write about it.  But here’s hoping they follow one day.  And here’s to cake.