I have an uneasy feeling that I have “let my public down”. Not that I have an enormous public, but we seem to be a friendly band of brothers and sisters and I enjoy reading your comments. I have not posted for nine days now, but Statcounter tells me that you are still visiting my site. And this morning I see that I have again been mentioned in despatches on the NHS Blog Doctor site, despite having no new “product” over the past week.
I think there are three reasons for this silence. In the first place, the novelty of blogging is over for me. Like any new project, once the initial enthusiasm has worn off it is either abandoned or it settles down to a more reasonable level of activity that can be sustained in the long term. A bit like marriage, really!
Next, I have found myself short of time. As well as blogging I have three other hobbies which can consume large amounts of time (a Jack of all trades, me), I've had to sort out the finances and some other matters at the practice, and my wife and family deserve a bit of attention from time to time. Oh yes, and I seem to have quite a busy day job.
Finally, I am feeling happier in myself and have less need to air my passionate grievances. Work has been relatively stress-free for a few weeks (probably because none of the partners have been on holiday) and I seem to be content with my persona of a middle-aged GP. Partly this is because I feel less trapped. Now that our youngest is about to leave home and the delights of paying fees to schools are ending, I am no longer financially obliged to stay in this job. Not that I have any immediate plans to leave, but the fact that I remain a GP by choice makes a considerably difference to my perception of the job.
Blogging is perhaps the same. I no longer have a burning need to blog but I will continue to do so by choice, albeit at a more leisurely pace.
12 comments:
Please keep blogging when you can as it gives me (lay person) an insight on life as a doc. I have tremendous respect for you all and feel you do a fantastic job in difficult times. Best wishes for the future.
Thank you for your kind words.
Almost 6000 visitings in 2 months, you've got to be doing something right :-)
Glad all's peachy at present, I too find it of interest to hear how life's rewarding/frustrating back in GP land, hope you can continue to share incisive musings at a suitably genteel and manageable pace!
The stats are interesting. Maybe I'll blog on them before too long. Amongst other things they indicate that I have over 40 readers who have returned at least 10 times so, as you say, I must be doing something right.
And thanks for your supportive remarks. It's the thought that people may find the blog interesting that keeps me going. To be honest, I find it interesting myself when I read postings that I wrote a month or two ago. How quickly we forget the things that happen from day to day! And the anonymity must be working fairly well because sometimes even I can't recognise the patients. :-)
The stats are very interesting I find, and at times I think I'm blogging for the stats. They totally fascinate me, and I watch them all the time. There is the spread of countries, the searches they have used to find you, the effect of being mentioned elsewhere. Am I becoming obsessed? Oh dear ....
I dare not use a stat counter on my blog for fear of finding out how few people are reading. Or how many. No, how few. No ... never mind. Don't want to know! :-)
Ye are brave, who can peer into the stats ...
I'm wondering if it's worthwhile stumping up some cash to get StatCounter to provide a larger log file. Wouldn't hurt to try, I suppose.
You can afford to pay fees for your kid's education...I am envious...my five have had to do without...not a bad old con this medical stuff then?
cogidubnus I went to our local comprehensive along with over 1200 other kids, managed to do okay. I'm a medic but can't afford private education and my kids are doing well enough.
And assuming folk you don't know have excess disposable income is a prejudiced assumption that's mighty unfair!
Cogidubnus: Evidence suggests that once income rises above the level needed to provide the basics of a secure life, it is not correlated with happiness. If the question of whether or not I am fortunate depended solely on my income there would not be much to say in this blog.
The Shrink: Ta.
Have a look at Google Analytics before upgrading. It may do all you want and is free.
It's more geared to a commercial site but it does have more graphs than I know what to do with, and an apparently unlimited log. But I prefer StatCounter in the end.
Thanks for the tip, A.
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