300 visitors

I checked my google analytics today, and was shocked to see a HUGE (and by huge I mean way huge) jump in the people who visited my blog. Usually we get spikes when Justin writes about a screening he sees, but the most individual visits we've gotten in one day was around 100 (Ron Howard), but on the third I had over 300 visitors (not visits which was around 350).

It scared me.

I love that I can see 60 people check my blog, and most of them are returners. I dream about which 60 people they are, and pretend that I have that many friends in the world. I pretend that they are people from my childhood that had secret crushes on me. I pretend that they were the people that were mean, and now wanted to see what I was really like. I pretend that they are friends of friends that always wished I would be their friend.

But 300. There is no way I have that many people interested in me.

Turns out that one of my posts was mentioned in the NY Times City Room blog. Can you guess which one? To quote them: " The story of a tense visit to a New York City McDonald’s" Yeah, the one that could be easily misinterpreted if someone reading it didn't know that I actually am a loving, kind person, who just thinks everyone should be loving and kind too.

That scared me.

Written language is a very fabulous thing, and with fabulousity comes danger. I know, I studied it, I studied it hard. I know that there is very little the author can do to make sure that "intent" is interpreted correctly. And that once a writer lets someone else read their words, the writer gives permission for interpretation and misinterpretation.

I told Justin. He didn't think it was scary, he thought it was a pretty cool thing.

I considered making my blog private. I considered only writing about the boring stuff.

Remember when I used to say I wanted to be an author... I don't think I want to anymore.