Wednesday, August 24, 2011

New Rule

Gah!! A thousand hits a day?!

What the heck?

I've been toodling along for years with my nice friendly little 350-odd daily tea party, just me and a few friends goofing off and futzing about. But then I tweaked the Vatican's tail a little and now all these people are crowding in, dropping crumbs on the carpet, using cups that don't match the saucers and dipping their wet spoons into the sugar basin.

Where have you all come from? Who invited you? Don't y'all have jobs or something?

I realise that I've had a Kathy link and that always means that I have to start saying things like women shouldn't be allowed to vote or wear trousers to make all her little minions go away. But really it's been growing like crazy since May. And I can't spend all my time insulting people.

So, new rule: If you'd never read me before, say, March this year,

go away. You're not allowed to read this blog.

I hate new people.



~

31 comments:

Gregory said...

There really is such a thing as being TOO true to type, my dear.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

You are allowed.

DP said...

Whew--safe.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Yeah, cool kids only. How can we be a snooty clique if anyone can join?

Stuart said...

Blast. I've only been lurking for a few months and was quite enjoying myself....

Sarah said...

You're kidding, right, or are you really that rude and ungracious?

In the past oh, I don't know, three months I have been reading your blog, I may not have commented much, but I have kept you in my thoughts and prayers, especially for your physical health.

I wonder how many readers that you've gained since after March clicked your donation widget.

If you're so about The Real, then you should be aware that the people who wish you well are not just disembodied personalities, but REAL people on the other end of the wire.

Honesty is a virtue, but then so is kindness.

Yikes.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Joking? Serious? What do you think Sarah?

Sarah said...

You might just try saying 'thank you.'

Mrs McLean said...

To be fair, I think she did somewhere or another.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

You're new, huh?

Sarah said...

You're talking about that "I Am a Jerk" post, yes? I did think of that. But if her click counter jumped from 300-ish to 1000-ish quite recently, then that's 700 people who have only seen this.

Sarah said...

As someone with a blog with a small following, I want to kiss the people who click and comment. You're even more fortunate because you have a guarantee a lot of people praying for you, which I don't assume I have. (besides my mother, who loyally reads all my posts. She prays for me, I'm sure, but I have no guarantees from anyone else.)

Joking or not, a little more grace and humility is in order. I realize you have some rough edges, (heck, that's why a lot of us like you) but really.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

The Big Hilary Secret is that I'm actually deadly afraid of people.

Sarah said...

Well, I'm deadly afraid of spiders. But since I live alone and don't have anyone to kill them for me, I deal with it.

Mrs McLean said...

Oh for heaven's sake leave the woman alone. She's a stranger to you, not in the best of health and probably much older than you, if you still need the approbation of complete strangers. It's her blog, and if she is uncomfortable with the numbers of people reading it, she is entitled to do her best to scare them off.

Although I enjoy chatting with my readers, it would never occur to me to kiss the people who click and comment. In fact, I occasionally wipe their comment right off the screen.

Sarah said...

As a reader who at least cared for her in an interested and prayerful way, I think I'm entitled to feel a little jilted.

John said...

blog posts like this are so funny! I just LOVE your dry wit, Hilary.

Therefore, I'm going to forward this blog address to all my friends. They'll get a hoot outta this too!!

Mark said...

I've been reading your blog all the way back since "The Devout Life" days when you used to post inspirational quotes from St. Philip Neri. Good times...

Anonymous said...

I am brand new and will not stop nebbing! SO THERE!

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Mark gets an extra biscuit.

Gregory said...

What I meant was that YOU are being too true to type. Get over it, and accept that you are loved and respected, even by some people who don't know you personally.

The frying pan is ready to be used. Don't provoke me.

Mrs McLean said...

Sarah, as far as anyone knows, you are a 57 year old 270 lb Tennessee truck driver posing as a woman.

Kelly said...

I'm with Stuart. I was rather enjoying myself.
Don't you think I could stay for a little longer? Please?
I promise to use matching crockery.

Stuart said...

Oh come on Sarah, even as someone who has been around here long, it wasn't difficult to detect that Hilary was having a bit of fun with us....

DP said...

Sarah, when you've been here long enough, you'll understand when Suzy is having us on. At least a little bit.

Anonymous said...

BOO! - Karen

Steve T. said...

(ding-dong) Hello? Sarah? Miss White, if she so elected, could transform this into a private blog accessible only to those she let in. How do I know? She has already done so with her previous blog, "The Devout Life." It's a feature within Blogger, which you as a self-professed blogger may already know.

(Salve, DP! Thank you for turning me on to that blog. Now get back to your own blogging! More Byzantium!)

Therefore, were she truly serious about excluding people she does not know, we wouldn't be having this conversation, because you wouldn't be able to post. And neither would I: though a HJMW reader since days of yore, I've never properly met the woman, i.e., in the flesh.

Finalmente, I have a question I believe you would do well to reflect upon: did you keep Miss White in your thoughts and prayers, especially for her physical health, solely out of Christian motives of charity? Or out of the expectation of a reward? Even as small a reward as a "thank you?"

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Oh leave Sarah alone. The humourless are to be pitied.

Jay_son_of_Frank_and_Henriette said...

I actually do have a sense of humor, Ms White. I also ended up reading here after a series of links from Kaffir Kanuck. I far more enjoyed your clarity of thought and your less reactionary tone than that of Kathy Shaidle. As a deacon, I (obviously) greatly appreciate thoughtful Christian orthodoxy and therefore find your blog to be exceptional.
All this said, I don't know your heart and I won't presume to intrude...and I certainly don't have the temerity to expect appreciation from someone whose thoughts I have sought out. Out of politeness and respect, I MUST therefore must take you at your word that you are uncomfortable with this much attention.* I have read this comment thread looking for indications that your posting was facetious and cannot find anything unabiguous from YOU that would indicate this.
Therefore, ma'am, let me express my admiration for your logical and incisive thought. I will truly pray for your health, Ms White and, with no prejudice or presumptuous judgement, I will respect your rules, remove this site from my top Favorites list and depart.
Thank you, Ms White. In greatest seriousness, let me say this: You write truth extraordinarly well and I TRULY wish there were more minds like yours! I hope your 350 core readers appreciate your commentary as much as I have come to appreciate it.
Thank you, again.





*Normally, I'm also uncomfortable using so many first-person pronouns but the matter of my respect for you and your opinion requires the expression of first-person subjectivity.

Anonymous said...

Indeed they are.

L.Legault

Fr. T. said...

I hope they don't stage some electronic version of one of those dreary sit-ins that were so common in the sixties. I myself staged a rather successful one in grade eight---gave the poor hippie teacher a nervous breakdown. But really...this is a whole new century. And don't even think about trying to love bomb Hilary. I can assure you, it won't work.