Well, This is Embarrassing…

~ Kana Smith
Shirker? Yep, that’s me… Computer open on my lap, but fast asleep.

I don’t intend to shirk responsibilities, truly I don’t… But here we have it. I seem to be a bona fide, certified Shirker.

Shame!

I sent off my bundle of deadline-writing this afternoon (including an article—I’m not making this up!—on the assigned topic: “Can my dog get me pregnant?” OH. MY. GOD) and thought I’d reward myself, as usual, by writing-for-fun HERE… And experienced the nearly-unprecedented sensation of realizing I didn’t know what the next blog would be. I usually have half a dozen thoughts queued up in my head and elbowing each other to get to the front of the line…

And then I remembered… That I have been gifted with a responsibility that I haven’t yet fulfilled.

Well, actually a couple.

Well… maybe kind of a…  list. (Did I mention shame?)

Here’s the deal. The Blogging-World is, above all, a community experience. The joys of sharing our work—our writing, our stories, our photography, our Art, our Lives—are multiplied and enhanced by the interactions with our fellow-bloggers. In this World we are not only Bloggers, but Readers—because at it’s best, blogging is a two-way street! Or… a multi-road intersection… Or maybe… a roundabout? Okay, I don’t know what the best traffic-analogy would be, but it’s Community I’m angling at here.

Some of my blogging-compatriots have done me the honor of entrusting this blog with awards.  I use that word (entrust) deliberately, because I feel a sense of accountability, both to acknowledge the recognition, and also to pay it forward. That’s how these things work in a Community. With apologies for the lengthy interval (six months on a few of these, cringe)  between the Award and the acceptance, I would like to thank and acknowledge:

My most heartfelt thanks to all of you for being a part of my Blogging-Experience, and for reaching out to me the way you have!

Standard Operating Procedure for any blogging-award indicates that I should:

  1. Not wait six months before I get around to acknowledgments. Crap.
  2. Offer thanks and links to those bloggers who conferred recognition on this blog. (See above.)
  3. Share seven (or three, or ten, or some number) of informational bits about myself. I refer you to the “Chronicles” link above, given that I share pretty much everything a person wouldn’t want to know about me, right here on the pages of this blog. (Hence the earlier “TMI” award, ahem…)
  4. Share the awards by conferring recognition on some of the awesome bloggers I’ve been fortunate to discover.

For that last bit, I’m going to be a bit unorthodox (please try to stifle your yelp of surprise) by listing some of the amazing bloggers whose work hits my Inbox, and asking each of them please to select which of these awards they would like to accept. In no particular order…

Wait. One more thing I’ve gotta say. One of my favorite things about other people’s “Award” posts is the ready-made lists of bloggers-to-follow. I go blog-trolling regularly by tags and topics, and come across great discoveries from time to time—but when bloggers I already enjoy hand me a list? I’m all over that shit. I invite the rest of you to enjoy these guys too!

Blogging-Love to all! Thanks for being part of my experience here.

49 thoughts on “Well, This is Embarrassing…”

  2. Loving ‘the list’. I appreciate you leaving some trail markers. My reading time later today has new focus. And the community experience you describe? Spot-on. We all get there together. Dan

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  3. CONGRATS! You certainly deserve these. :) Thanks for the link and for this blog list. The blogosphere is jam packed with great stuff..so much so that it can be overwhelming. Your “seal of enjoyment” on your blog list gives me a great place to start today!

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    1. Happily, NO. I’ve been trying not to wonder about the logistics behind a potential internet-search of that question… ;)

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  10. How could I not like this post? Thank you, Kana, for putting me on such a prestigious list. You are one gutsy, gutsy lady that has really inspired me to shoot straight with my words & not sugar-coat it. Your honesty and indomitable spirit – that’s worth more than awards can say.

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  11. Hey Kana,
    Don’t beat yourself up too much. As a member of the AA fellowship I want to mention that expectations often lead to resentments and we know where resentment leads us. I was too good at holding my head under water for minor infractions. I don’t know where you are with your spiritual experience, but I can share with you what I’ve learned. God tells me I have no place judging anyone. That’s His job. That includes judging myself. So relax, this too will pass. Stay humble and all of us who follow your blog will be proud for you.

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    1. I’m accustomed to hearing these reminders from my Sponsor–what a treat to find them in the Blogging-Community as well! :) Thank you.

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  12. Thank you! And May I now nominate you for with the invisible “what-a-great-way-to-thank-everyone-when-you’re-greatly-behind-in-the-blogging-award-accepting-area reward! :) Seriously, well done! Caring, interactive, responsible and fun! Excellent!

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  14. Thanks so much… not just for the mention but for the reminder that I have some outstanding awards to make…. That will be tomorrow’s task! I love the photo with your post!

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    1. Keoni’s phone does that fun photo-effect—we just discovered it. (Leading us to reflect, once again, that our smartphones may be smarter than WE are, hmmm…) :)

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  15. Congrats on the whole bunch of awards here! (And a big “thank you” for including me in the list of bloggers you read.) Don’t feel bad about the six month delay. A while back, I had one that asked me to list seven interesting facts about myself….I got two and decided they weren’t interesting at all, so I’ve never done it. Not that I don’t appreciate it, but I’m just not that into “me” :)

    P.S. Thanks for the laugh – that article topic was great!

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    1. Ha, easy for you to say—you didn’t have to WRITE the damn thing! ;) But as with anything “interesting” that happens to me these days, at least it makes for good blog-fodder. (Even the kids have started regularly dropping the remark: “Well, THAT’s going in the blog!”)

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  18. I don’t even wan to think why somone would even need an article about interspecies pregnancy. A colorful life you lead. Thanks for the shout out. I feels like Christmas picking whatever I want!

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  19. I really enjoy this post and how you added a list at the end.. and OMG! I am so excited to be included on your list! That you included my humble ‘all about good things’ blog means the world to me. Your terrific humor inspires me to maybe start a new blog just as an outlet for my humor – and I’d likely have to reblog a few of your gems from here! Anyways thank you so much, and if I lived closer I’d thank you by bringing over some of the abundant raspberries we’ve been harvesting, or my homemade organic whole wheat banana muffins, or something! Hugs for sure. Thanks! Gina

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    1. Keoni wants to know where you live–I think he’s ready to hop in the car for those berries & muffins! :) Thanks for spreading good things through our virtual world! ~Hugs~

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  20. Wednesday 8th … How did I miss this post? … must’ve snuck by me when I wasn’t looking … thanks so much for the award. :D I’m going to have to go for the ‘Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award’ … erm … now what do I do?

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    1. Go forth and bloggify! :) Write a post with that stuck in it somehow, and pass it along to some Blogging Sisters you enjoy. :)

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