Just Like a Doctor....

Ok, so I have never owned a stethoscope - not even sure I have ever handled one before! I don’t go around in white coveralls. I have never taken any medical classes and the sight of blood makes me feel sick to my stomach. Okay no need to get all gory but my point is I am not a doctor – not even in my dreams!

The past few days have however begun to make me think I am becoming a doctor of sorts. Reason? I’ve been doing what I’ve heard them call ‘Blog Rounds’!

I mean it’s a completely different world out there called ‘blogville’. I have heard terms like ‘blogosphere’; ‘blogaria’ ; ‘blogiverse’ and all sorts but from my observation, ‘blogville’ seems to be the world of Naija-linked bloggers. As in, they are Nigerians either living here or abroad; or even non-Nigerians with a Nigerian connection of some sort.

For some of us, I know it’s no big deal but for me it is. The first time I ever heard the word ‘Blog’ was in 2006. It appeared on a friend’s Yahoo! 360° profile and since there was no link attached I could go no further in my exploration. I remember thinking though what a funny word it was - Blog. Sounds the way I think a pancake mix would when someone just took a handful and let it drop in some other gooey mixture – (“plop”). It makes me think of the way a really large frog would gradually blink its bulgy eyes (“blug-blug”) as it targets its unfortunate prey. Even worse still, it makes me think of a bog! You know that terribly thick muddy body of water that swallows anyone whole who mistakenly fell into it. It even sounds like a perfect word for an insult an old time soldier would probably throw at some fiend – “get away from hia you ‘blogger’ rascal” Hehehe, silly.

Several months after my first ‘encounter’ with the word I finally understood that it was a site where anyone could write stuff and publish them. Even then I still hadn’t seen anyone’s blog. Not until I got a mail late last year with a link to Olufunke’s blog. I got there and read her posts (she was also only just starting) and I was impressed! I promptly signed up and started my very own blog that day!

I had published 2 posts before I found a few other bloggers through Olufunke’s blog. Most of the first few comments I had on my first few posts (not that I’ve done that much anyway) were from non-bloggers but then I did another post and got comments from bloggers I’d never seen (heard of or read from) before and that’s how the linking started. I clicked link after link and my amazement just kept growing. What?! You mean there are this many bloggers out here?! Where have I been all these years?! I visited so many blogs that I generally lost track. I left comments on some of them all the while announcing “first time here!” I felt like a little girl who just got permission from mommy to swing on the hitherto forbidden ‘janglova’ (is that how it’s spelt?)

It’s different from facebook and other social networking sites in the sense that here it’s just you doing your own thing, expressing yourself and simply being creative.

Just today, my Blog Round took me to the Blogville Idol 2008 site and I was like - “Is this for real?” I know it’s old news now but it’s ‘new’ news for me. Suffice it to say I was impressed!

I have this feeling that there’s more to Blogville than meets the eye. I don’t know why, I’m just excited, like something really good is about to happen.

I really should do my “Ten Things Tuesday” post and I will. I just need to get my act together just a bit.

Being a doctor definitely isn’t easy I’m beginning to get woozy from the long Blog Rounds. It’s a good woozy feeling though. I really could get used to this!