Thank You, Friends!

Two days ago I wrote a post on my reaching the 100-post landmark. I don't hesitate to use the word 'landmark' because it is a landmark, considering that only a few months ago, I did not even have a blog, and today I have a family of sorts -- people who encourage me with their comments.

Why are comments so important? Rather, why should comments be so important? You may say: I write the blog for myself, and I don't care whether someone reads it or posts comments. Easier said than done. Posts are nothing but an expression of your feelings or an emotion, and in order to express those feelings or that emotion, you often spend a lot of your valuable time -- at times minutes, at times hours.

Now imagine spending two hours writing a post, and not even getting two comments. While that does not take away from the quality of your writing or the satisfaction you derive by getting the load off your chest, it is certainly disheartening. No self-respecting blogger will ever admit the sense of dismay, but that's the truth. On the other hand, if you attract even a handful of genuine comments, you feel your effort has been worth it. You feel good. That's why we all blog at the end of the day -- just to be acknowledged and to feel good.

And now it is my turn to acknowledge: I cannot cross the 100-post mark without mentioning people who have made me feel that my effort is worth it. The list of such people has expanded of late, thank God, but how I can ever forget the 'core group':

Anil Shankar and Ravi Juneja: they comment only when they really feel upto it, and hence their comments carry a lot of weight.

My good, old Usha, who always instils the belief in me that I can tell a story.

Visithra, a born blogger and a talented writer who never lets her pals down.

Arundhati, the minimalist who manages to stir hearts with just a couple of couplets.

Prerona, who has a feel for life and who effectively transforms those feelings into words.

Atul Sabnis, a fellow Capricorn, who I think thinks just like me.

Maya, who has complete faith in what I write: even if I write crap, she will faithfully report that it is crap.

Akruti, aka Neelima, who shares my taste in music (wish she started blogging again).

Vandy, a fellow UP-wallah (or UP-waali?) who won my heart with her post titled 'Ganeshi'.

Deepa, the girl from Madikeri and now a fellow journalist, who churns out a clean copy even when she blogs. If I were to own a newspaper, I would have made her the news editor or the features editor, even though she is only 22 or 23 (how old are you, Deepa?).

If I have left out certain names that I should have mentioned, then it has to be of people I take for granted. Please forgive me for the (unintentional) omission because I am writing this post without referring to the 'Friends' list. But offhand I recall the IDs of some new friends: Dazedandconfused, Anu Russel and this wonderful blogger from Kottayam (Beks?).

Two people deserve special mention: Shoe Fiend and Ammani. Shoe Fiend I have been reading for quite a while, and Ammani very recently. Their wordsmithery makes me feel jealous.