How blog comments can move mountains
Yesterday my friend Stephanie and I went to the Roundhouse to check out Make It, the funkiest little craft market I’ve ever been to. I love supporting handmade local products and truly, I was really blown away with the quality of the things I saw.
However, this post is not really about that. It’s about this:
The other day I wrote a post about a crappy white leather bag I’d bought and a gal named Cynthia left me a nice comment telling me about her husband’s friend who makes these amazing hand crafted leather goods up here in Vancouver.
Well I wasn’t at Make It for five minutes before I turned the corner and… ding! ding! ding! Ran smack into the very guy that Cynthia had told me about in her comment – Lincoln of Five Left leather goods. What were the chances?! Of course I told him all about it and we had a nice funny chat. He was even kind enough to indulge me in my dorkiness and posed for a photo.
And that, folks, is the power of comments.
As any blogger will tell you, comments are the manna of their souls. I’ve yet to meet a blogger who doesn’t love them and the ones who say they don’t care because they’re writing for themselves? Yeah, totally lying. I read every single one of your comments and I’ll be honest: they make me smile and are a large part of what motivates me to write these silly little snapshots of my life.
But while that’s all nice and warm-fuzzy inducing, what do you get out of it?
You get to move mountains.
Does that seems like a bit of an overstatement? Maybe in some cases. Sometimes comments are nothing more than “Ha ha that’s funny, thanks for sharing!”. But even that makes a small impression somewhere, to someone.
Cynthia’s comment prompted me to learn about a new artist and when I ran into him, start up a conversation. And while that is neat in itself, who knows what karmic chain of events it may have initiated? Maybe one of you will buy a bag or tell someone else about it. Maybe an artist who reads this will be inspired by what Lincoln is doing and go create something beautiful too. Maybe when she hears about it, Cynthia will get a little thrill so she’ll walk along the sidewalk with a smile on her face that someone who really needed to have their day brightened will see. Who knows.
And me? [cue Cheese Alert] I came away with a wonderfully fuzzy feeling that we are all connected. It’s when we reach out to each other that great, fun things happen.
So leave comments. Often and everywhere. Not just here (well, yes please here too!) but everywhere you read something that you like or that touches you or interests you.
You never know what wonderful chain of events you’ll set off.
My name is Kasia Fink and nothing makes me happier than finding goodness. This is a collection of my findings... I mean, finkings.
OMG! I can’t believe there is a big ol’ picture of Lincoln on your blog lol’s! How funny you ran into him. He is really talented and a very unique person. I almost teared up reading this. I always feel weird commenting on someones blog because I don’t really know you and you don’t know me, but I really enjoy what you have to say and I loved following your wedding on WB, funny enough Lincoln was in our wedding in September. Anyhoo, cool post! Maybe I will run into you when we visit Vancouver in June lol. ;o)
I had a feeling you’d get a kick outta this! :) Thanks again for taking the time to share that little comment and yes… I wouldn’t be surprised if we ran into each other too one day – crazier things have happened!
As I don’t think I left a comment on the previous post, I just have to thank you for blogging about your Frocks win last week!
That post made me go look up Frocks and their blog (something I never imagined they’d have) and find their picture posts of the most recent Frocks window! As a homesick Vancouverite, living in Melbourne, seeing the most current Frocks window TOTALLY made my day. It was always something I looked for when bussing along Broadway, and being able to see it 1/2 way around the world, just brought Vancouver a little closer to home.
So thanks for that :-)
How cool! You are so welcome. I loooove the Frocks window too and often make a detour just to drive by it.
Love your blog, love comments! Smoooooooch!
(Did you get a new bag or what!?)
Oh yes I got a new bag, and it’s totally different from the first one. Go figure!
Well said! I’m always amazed at the way the internet can bring together people with common interests who never would have met otherwise. I did start out just blogging for myself (I actively didn’t want anyone to know about it), but over the past year have gradually become involved in the blogging community, and comments make my day… there is usually a big goofy grin and maybe a little squeal involved. Did you get a new bag?
So true – it brings people together in the neatest ways. Sometimes I think our kids are one day going to ask us what life was like before blogs and geez, what are we going to say? I can barely remember!
Hear hear! (That comment won’t move mountains, but I agree so wholeheartedly that is all I could think to write.)
“Comments are Currency!” That is your line Bella, and I couldn’t agree more. Naturally, this post requires a comment, but there is somethin’ really special about folks leavin’ notes. Appreciate what you write and your bold call out to move mountains thru comments! XO!
It always amazes me how interconnected we all are…whether it be through blogging or other social networking, or living in a place or attending a school…the world really is a small place!
~Ashley
http://www.pitterpatterknits.etsy.com
See, now I feel like I have to start commenting more so my favourite bloggers know how much I appreciate them!
I would like to point out it goes both ways: I get a happy feeling when I get responses to my comments on other people’s blogs (this makes me sound like a crazy person, but you once posted on wb your wedding inserts in response to one of my questions and I was tickled.). It’s funny to think that people who are logistical strangers are “virtual friends”… :)
So true, it DOES go both ways. And hey… I totally remember that response! I’m glad you saw it and found me here now too. Talk about being tickled.
Good- I don’t feel (as?) creepy now :)
The world is such a funny place…seriously what a small world! I’ve got to keep that in mind so I remember to comment more often!
I’ve made some truly wonderful real-life friends through blogging comments so I’m so with you!
I totally agree! I’ve been out of the blogging world off and on for the past couple months and it’s crazy how much you miss reading, commenting, and receiving comments. And that craft market looks like so much fun- I want one!
I agree, comments are great and they give me validation that I’ve written something that has made an impact. It’s great when people say nice things or show appreciation. I’ve received a few comments that have bothered me instead of giving me that warm fuzzy feeling (I got one today that I took as a bit of a jab). When this happens it reminds me of the limitations of the medium I write in. While my blog is a place where I tell personal stories, most of the readers do not know me personally. I think that when that face-to-face interaction is removed, people are braver to say something harsh. I think this works the other way too. I might be more reserved with my comments of appreciation toward a person I was communicating with in person. It’s more of a risk to express myself in a face-to-face situation than it is here, where I can’t see your immediate reaction. Like right now, you could be nodding in agreement, or you could be raising an eyebrow and going, “whaa?” One of those cues would make me either continue my thought further or quit and save face.