Of Red Hats and Being Who We Are

I hope no one relies upon Blogger to accurately show you how many people read your blog. Their stat counter is woefully (w-o-e-f-u-l-l-y) inaccurate, showing you only a tiny fractional number of people who read your words.

Instead, StatCounter.com is far better, incredibly accurate and will supply you with all sorts of details about your blog's visitors.

Well. StatCounter shows me the word searches which bring newcomers to my blog and the phrase which pops up most? "I don't like parties." Or, "Why don't I like parties?" Or, "I hate parties." Google those words and somewhere on the page you'll see a link to my Why I Don't Like Parties post which I wrote years ago.

I find it incredibly interesting that lots of other people besides me don't like parties. But then, I'm still always amazed when anybody agrees with me about anything. Until I went online at age 41, I believed I'd been dropped down here from another planet--I'd always felt like a weirdo. Like one odd individual. 

But then, here online! I discovered lots of you who also must have come from my home planet.

Heh.

Anyway ... Early, early this morning I tried googling 'homemaker clubs' in my area (and other variations) and found basically nothing. Then I googled Red Hat Society and my area, read a few lists of specific ladies' interests, (what they're searching for in the Society) and got that "from another planet" feeling all over again. Hardly anyone held my same interests and too, the listed upcoming meetings/places were not my idea of a good time.

And then I read this:

Older Ladies and the Red Hat Society

... and felt better. Oh, the blogger could have worded her post more kindly and in a more balanced way, especially since she'd never even visited a Red Hat Society meeting, but beneath all that, I recognized her thoughts and found them to be kindred ones.

And then I read the many comments following her post and discovered more balance (and wisdom) from women who actually belonged to the Society and I was reminded of why I appreciate comments after blog posts--they can fill-in gaps we bloggers miss, adding a new depth of understanding for readers. (Hint, hint.)

Now, did those positive comments about the Red Hat Society change me into a joiner? A lover of loud, silly parties? Uh, no. But they did remind me that as people, we are all wired differently. We are unique. Even those of us who have much in common do not have everything in common, but rather, we have special quirks all our very own.

And God bless the groups out there which allow us to splash around with others who share those silly/serious quirks. Those groups which remind us we are not alone in our beliefs, our interests or our need to share who we have become.







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My current favorite tv crime show? The Mentalist. Did you see the second episode of this latest season? One of my favorite episodes, ever--loved the whimsical angle. Check it out here.


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