AwkWARD

/ Jeff Cann

I was awarded this week. Twice!

I’m sure you know about these awards. They are the blogging version of a chain letter. You get nominated by a blogger, you give a shout-out to said blogger, you answer a few questions, and you then nominate sixty-seven others for the same award. And if you do the math, you too will figure out that in just two weeks’ time, everyone on earth will be nominated.

Several months ago, I vowed that I would never, ever, ever participate in a blogging award. But then someone nominated me the next week, and I dove right in.

It was fun.

I don’t really seem like the sort of person who would get nominated for an award. Those people seem, well, friendly. They’re encouraging to others; gracious with their comment responses. They apologize to their readers when they go a week without blogging.

I’m cut from a different mold (and yes, by mold, I’m referring to the bacterial fungi).

I love getting likes and follows; I’m grateful to have readers, but comments stress me out. For the most part, bloggers are an erudite crowd. We’re people who like to read. We’re people who call writing a hobby. We’re people who digest a post and then take the time and effort to respond with a thoughtful comment. But half the time, when I’m reading my comments, I can’t figure out what it means. I can’t comprehend it. I don’t know what the commenter is getting at. But politeness says I should answer the comment anyway.

When I get compliments, I worry that the writer is being sarcastic.

She: “Jeff, this post moved me to tears.”

Me: “I’m glad you found it inspirational.”

She: “Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t being serious.”

When I wake up to ten comments, I see the next half hour as a chore. I need to be witty, gracious, and thoughtful. I can’t just hit like, like, like.

I think I just come off as awkward.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, this week I was nominated for the Unique Blogger Award by Mel Gutiér. And James Clark.

Mel and I started following each other several weeks ago, and already she’s one of my favorite commenters. Interesting fact: Until just a few days ago, I thought Mel was a man.

James showed up right after that ridiculous event when I got a post published in WordPress Discover, and I jumped from 200 to 1200 followers in a week. James stood out from his very first comment. He seemed so familiar with me, I wondered if he had been following me for years.

When nominated with the Unique Blogger Award you’re expected to answer the three questions that are being passed along with the award. This seems to be entirely subjective. These two sets of questions that Mel and James had on the same award couldn’t be more different.

Mel’s questions:
1. What would you describe as a perfect moment?
2. What general term do you feel is overrated?
3. Describe the person you aim to be in five sentences or less.

James’ questions:
1. What is your goal in blogging? Who do you hope to reach?
2. What is your favorite past time outside of blogging? What defines you?
3. Share with us your favorite inspirational quote.

I’m not answering any of these questions. I’ve decided to make my own award. The AwkWARD Award. And these are my questions:

  • What’s the strangest word you know? Sword. It has a silent “w”. Sword, sword, sword. The word “answer” does too. Not sure how this got started.
  • If you could only eat one food, what would it be? Pizza. Because as long as you make it on a pizza crust, you can really eat anything you want. You can still call it pizza.
  • What is your first pet? My college roommate and I had a tank of death. It was a big glass aquarium with a bunch of critters. Anything went into it. Anything that lived became a pet, everything else became dinner for one of our pets. The stuff that lived: a praying mantis, a small snake, a toad, a couple of beetles, and a wolf spider.

And now I’ll nominate some other bloggers for the brand new AwkWARD Award. These are six blogs I’ve been faithfully following for months. I know these bloggers so well through our comment exchanges, I feel like I’ve known them a lifetime.

https://theyoncecalledherpumpkin.wordpress.com/

http://www.autismfamilypower.com/

http://www.whendoigetthemanual.com/

https://sleepingonthediagonal.com/

https://briandeanpowers.wordpress.com/

https://missionincomplete95.wordpress.com/

32 thoughts on “AwkWARD”

  2. Lovely post… it reminds me that I should comment more and push the AwkWARD button… Because blogging is not about just putting my thoughts out there.. it’s about making friends! and comments make that happen… All truth be told, I’m a lazy commenter… And most of the time I have no idea what to say… But this post sure made me want to start trying!!! (and FYI, nothing in this comment is intended to be sarcastic 😀 )

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    • There’s this blog I read where the writer never acknowledges my comments. I always feel a little obtrusive when I comment on his blog. But it’s a political blog and I always want to weigh in with my 2 cents. I don’t know why I’m telling you this.

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      • 😀 you are telling me because God is sending me a message through you… REPLY TO COMMENTS OR FOREVER BE DAMNED!!!
        But really… I will now pay more attention to comments I get.. (I don’t get much, so I never IGNORE them… but I can’t say I’ve always said thank you too!)
        Cheers!!

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  5. This is amazing and so you!!!!!!

    I love it!

    I remember how taken I was by your post on why people follow or don’t and they don’t really care… etc… I just felt how stressed you were.

    But I’m a fan. I consider you a mentor type and one of my favorite characters in the blogosphere!

    Stay cool. This post was perfect! Don’t stress. Do not reply to this comment.

    Just soak it in man! Then ignore it, go about your business and see the ripples take over.

    I can’t stop laughing. A man? I wish, sometimes. 😉

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  7. This post didn’t move me to tears though the mold part came close. You need not respond to my comments since I would rather read what your mind cooks up without me distracting it. I agree that you seem more of a mentor type and I always look forward to reading your thoughts.

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  8. When I first came on as a blogger, I didn’t know the etiquette until I noticed that most people tick the ‘like’ star to respond to a posted comment – just to let the poster know it’d been read. that’s it. Nothing more is required. No obligation. and that’s the best thing about the blogosophere – no obligation. You don’t have to show comments that alarm or distress (moderator mode – which I do ‘cos I’m afraid someone will leave nasties and I don’t know how I’d cope with it). But to let people know you’ve read their words, that little tick on the star is a priceless moment of silent communication.
    Thank you.

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  11. Haha! This is AwkWARDly awesome Jeff!! I am extremely flattered to have been nominated for this particular award! Confession- I have never participated in blogger award chains… It is always flattering to be nominated- but I never have follow through with continuing the chain (I am SUCH a party pooper sometimes!) However- I will not poop on your party… (That sounded better in my head!) I would love to participate in your new award! Question….Do I answer the questions you posted or create my own and answer them? Oh this could be fun…… 😉

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  13. Okay, honestly the thing that stuck out to me with this was the fact that you had a tank of death. ?!

    But seriously, thanks! I hope I didn’t guilt you into adding me to the list after I awkwardly was the first to hit like. You are SO not the only awkward one on the blogosphere. (Isn’t that why we blog anyway, because we’re awkward in real life and computers are much more forgiving?) Regardless of our collective awkwardness, yours is the first blog award nomination I’ve truly been happy about, because it does not feel like one of those “crap, I have to nominate six more people for this award! Let me go through my reader and find someone random to nominate!” nominations. Hope you are doing well!!

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  14. “Well” is not the adjective I’d use for me right now, but getting in control might fit. No I wasn’t guilted at all. I just didn’t think of you because you’ve been fairly sporadic at posting recently (now I’m guilting you).

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    • Getting in control is good, too. Thats the thing about big life changes I guess. And I know I have; it’s seriously an issue! But I’m really trying to get back into my regular posting schedule, and I had today off, so I used it as a blogging day, so I’ll be returning to the blogosphere!

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  15. I must now consult the All Mighty Google about the silent W. I can’t believe I’ve never thought about this before and now I shall be consumed until I know the origin! Curse you Jeff! And thank you once again for the shout out! I love the idea of the AwkWARD Award. And if I participate I might squeak in 2 posts in August instead of one….. and further procrastinate on starting a literary journey into my last foray into the world of dating red-heads….hmmm.

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  16. Yes, it’s entirely appropriate to describe me as socially awkward. It seems to bother some people and not others. I don’t know how that works.

    When Ben Platt sang “Waving Through a Window” at the Tony Awards, I heard the theme song for my life. (Ben won for Best Actor in a Musical, and the show — Dear Evan Hansen — won Best Musical. His voice is spectacular!)

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