Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

May 14, 2009

Gardening, Blogging, Life, Comments and How Relationships Stay Made

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 9:35 pm

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The Authenticity of Gardening … and Blogging

When I was a luxury farmer, I brought in bark mulch by the truck load. I had conversations with dirt that was so dry that you had to wet it to call it dust. It made be feel like a cowboy. It made me feel like a king. I could put my hand in the dirt, work for hours. Then through some miracle of nature color would happen. Things would grow. Not right way. Oh no. It took longer than blog years, but suddenly in the sun things started to show.


Every year we the weather gets warm and my hands want to be playing in the dirt I’m reminded that all things I’ve ever done have happened because I was willing to spend the time they took.

A blog. A garden. A life.

No one does them for the comments really.

But the comments sure do feel good.

Would you leave one for me now and then go leave one for those you know who’ve been working hard?

I’d so appreciate it and so would they. It’s how relationships start and how they stay made.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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20 Comments to “Gardening, Blogging, Life, Comments and How Relationships Stay Made”

  1. May 14th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
    Lori Hoeck said

    Hi Liz,

    From all I’ve read, SOBCon was a great and wonderful experience. Congratulations sparking that kind of connection among bloggers! I’m always amazed at where blogging can take us.

  2. May 14th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
    AdamV said

    Liz,
    So wonderful to read this post.

    I started helping with a blog late February and must confessed to finding the lack of comments disheartening. I thought the world would come banging on the door (okay, an exaggeration - half the world.

    But here is the wonderful thing: I only just came across your blog a you hours ago and subscribed to your RSS feed immediately. How wonderful that the very first post speaks to what’s on my heart !

    thank you Liz,
    Adam

  3. May 15th, 2009 at 6:26 am
    Robert Hruzek said

    It’s always been a wonderful mystery to me how one can take a pot of ordinary dirt, poke an ordinary seed into it, pour ordinary water on it and, in time, extraordinary beauty results!

    I guess the lesson is more about us and patience than about the mechanics of the process. ;-)

  4. May 15th, 2009 at 7:25 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Loni!
    It somewhat like meeting friends in a garden, then getting a chance to spend quality time talking and working with them. A good thing has launched the relationship. We already have some quality values in common. :)

  5. May 15th, 2009 at 7:27 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Adam,
    I went weeks before my first comment. Brogan says loudly he went years before his. It’s a way of reaching out that we learn to say “Hey come on in and see what’s in my garden. It’s a great place to meet friends and have a conversation.” The world needs a chance to see it and breathe it in first. :)

  6. May 15th, 2009 at 7:28 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Robert,
    It was always the same sort of amazement to me too. How simple work could make it look like magic happened. We’re all learning about that eh?

  7. May 15th, 2009 at 7:32 am
    Karen Putz said

    Thought of you as I planted my flowers the other day. Realized that I neglected my blogs over the last several weeks and they’re showing the signs. Time to water and mulch my blogs!

  8. May 15th, 2009 at 7:33 am
    Deb said

    Liz,
    I love the process ….planning the garden, digging in the dirt, planting, nurturing and finally growth.

    It helps to think of the process for my projects and work as well!

    @debworks

  9. May 15th, 2009 at 9:03 am
    Greg Rust said

    Liz, I have read your blog several times and have even referenced yours in mine. I am a newbie to blogging and started mine as a result of training for an Ironman. I have learned more about myself and the similarities of life through my daily training regime. I was dying to share that with others. Just yesterday somebody told me (in person) they enjoyed it. I use yours as “guidance” when I am not sure about boundaries regarding what I want to say. So, thanks for being there! And keep up the good work!

  10. May 15th, 2009 at 10:22 am
    Dave Pancost said

    Hi, Liz,

    I just wanted to let you know how much this blog has meant to me. It has been a personal encouragement and inspiration for my own paltry efforts at starting my blog.

    I’m just now starting to get some comments here and there, and my “audience” is starting to show up. :-) I’m excited and learning lots & lots of valuable lessons. Many coming from here.

    Consider this comment my personal thank you for your hard work and shared wisdom. Your voice is not falling on deaf ears. I truly, truly appreciate you.

    Wish I could have made it to Chicago this year, but just wasn’t able to. However, next year is definitely on the books. :-) I can’t wait to meet you IRL.

    Dave

  11. May 15th, 2009 at 10:39 am
    Andi said

    As always a gentle and loving way to encourage people to be nice to each other :-)

  12. May 15th, 2009 at 11:15 am
    Steve said

    As a fellow gardner, I totally get it. Happy to give you some comment love. You deserve it.

  13. May 15th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Karen!
    Exactly, we need to care for our blogs like our gardens. heh heh

  14. May 15th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Deb,
    It’s got to be the going and the growing that’s good. The getting there is only a moment. :)

  15. May 15th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Greg,
    We’re all connected by the light we share, by the words that we offer, by the incredible ideas. Thank you for bringing yours to mine.

    You’re not a stranger anymore!!

  16. May 15th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Dave,
    You’ve been a surprise and a pleasure this year for me. Thank you for joining in the conversation. I’ve learned so much from all that you’ve added here. I feel like you’ve made this blog grow by miles.

    Liz

  17. May 15th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
    Jendi said

    I love the gardening analogy!
    When my brain gets foggy from writing, marketing, or reading. I walk out and check my vegetable plants. It refreshes me and my brain.

  18. May 17th, 2009 at 2:42 am
    Soultravelers3 said

    Love it, Liz!

    You know it was the one thing I was missing on our open ended world tour. I guess I am a farmer at heart.

    We always had year round organic gardens in our home in California before we left. This year we put in a little organic garden in pots here at our winter rental in Spain. Ahhhh. ;)

    There is always a way, if there is a will. ;)

    You know we didn’t even have our comments thing working for the first year and half of our trip and blog. It was a glitch that took us ( non techy types) a while to figure out how to fix.

    We still found ways to connect with our readers, but it’s nice to have that option now. ;)

  19. May 17th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
    Todd Smith said

    yeah, comments are like the flowers in the garden! you’re a great gardener.

  20. June 3rd, 2009 at 12:12 pm
    LJ said

    I was reminded of the importance of giving feedback recently when a podcaster I listen to regularly admitted he had been thinking of giving up the ‘cast…simply because he didn’t think anyone listened or got value.

    It is easy to forget that bloggers are in the same boat unless we, the readers, make it known that we are reading and getting value.

    Thanks for the timely reminder!

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