more influencial than the national press

He did it again! All Dave has to do is mention my name in his blog and my hit count instantly trebles, making him officially more influential (in terms of effect on my readership) than the Guardian. This is, he tells me, what blogging is all about; writing your opinions, reading other people's opinions and directing people to other people's opinions. At its most basic I suppose it's like road signs pointing to a beauty spot where you may also find a sign post directing you somewhere else you might like to visit. A sort of 'customers who were interested in this also bought...' for cognitive musings.

Luckily for Dave he has a bit of a talent for the whole writing thing. For me it is a hobby. I write all the time but I couldn't do it to order. One week I'll churn out three short stories and then I'll be devoid of creative juices for several months. In this blog I try to come up with something fairly regularly. I was talking to a friend after church one day and happened to mention I wrote a blog. "I know," he replied "I've read it. Its a load of drivel."

A load of drivel.

That hit me hard I have to tell you. I mean, on the quiet, I have to agree with him. In my eagerness to produce something regularly I quite happily compromise quality for quantity; but I'm ok with that - that's why I write here - its (partially) anonymous writing. I can type complete drivel safe in the knowledge that my pupils aren't going 'Mr C's letting himself down with that piece of trash.' I get to write and write and write to my heart's content. If I come up with something good and people seem to like it then I take the credit - and my pupils think I'm a talented writer with an imagination to die for. It means that about twice a year I get to see the respect they have when they read something they actually think is good. Trust me, even my friend at church isn't as difficult to please as a bunch of turned-off-to-reading sixteen year olds. When I see them getting into a short story that I wrote it is the most amazing feeling.

But try as I might I can't do that to order. I have so much respect for journos and especially columnists. It never ceases to amaze me how someone can write on a daily basis and still maintain the quality levels. I wish I was them but as I'm not I'll content myself with writing drivel for whoever happens to stumble across this blog.