A Satirical look at Entitlement:
1. The facts: This is my 414th Post. I have been blogging for almost 4 years. I get about 60 views a day.
2. My Complaint: My popularity expectations are not being met.
3. My Goal: I want to be immensely popular. I don’t want to put a lot of effort into promoting my blog, nor do I wish to learn how to be a better writer or photographer. No, I just want what popular bloggers have.
4. My Cunning Plan: I’m going to start a new Entitlement Movement. I welcome your suggestions on what I should call it.
5. What my Entitlement Movement will demand:
- I want better wild animal photos for my blog. No one does a nicer job than the Canadian Photographer, Christopher Martin. Oh sure, I could buy a camera like his, and learn how to use it, and spend days tramping through the wilderness – but I’d rather be sitting at my computer complaining. I think I am entitled to some of Christopher’s photos. He has lots of them.
- I want better wild flower photos. Montucky at Montana Outdoors is very good. He (at least I think he is a he) is American, not Canadian, but I spend enough money in the USA during the winter when I visit there, so I think I am entitled to some of his photos too.
- I want better drawings. I like the work of Doodlemum. Yes, I suppose I could learn to draw better, but that would take a lot of time and like I said before, I’m better at complaining.
- I want unique and inventive content. Terry Border from Bent Objects, Nicole at The Middlest Sister and Dan at A LEGO a Day are three of my favourites. I admire their creativity. I don’t have that skill set, and I’m not even sure I have that kind of capability – but it is what I want, and someone should give it to me. I’m entitled.
- I want better stories. Most of my fellow bloggers are better writers than I am, so I want them to ghost write for me.
- I want the same viewer stats as the top 1% of all bloggers. Why should they have so much, and I have so little?
It just dawned on me that I should be demanding better internet service too. I live in a rural area and the nearest internet tower provides “insufficient service” for my needs (“Insufficient service” – that is how my ghost writer would say it, I think). I know, I could move closer to where the services are – but it would be much better if they built a tower closer to my house. Not where I could see it, though. I don’t want my view destroyed. It is bad enough that I can see power poles behind my property. I want all power poles to be underground so I can’t see them. I want all my power to come from the sun or the wind and I want it to be dirt cheap.
Speaking of my rural aspect, there are 17 pieces of property out my way and we were here long before the developers started to march across the horizon and build warehouses. We were here long before the nearest town became a city and annexed us. We were here first! I demand that all this newly developed land be given to me and that I be made President and CEO of all the enterprises that have replaced the homes of the moose and deer and fox.
I also want to have quicker access to an airport, but I don’t want planes flying over my house anymore. Sometimes they are so loud that I can hear them above the howl of the wind and the buzz of the mosquitoes. (I want the wind and mosquitoes to go away too.)
Now I want to go have a nap. Organizing an Entitlement Movement is hard work. I think I need to find ‘people’ to do this stuff for me. I’m entitled to have someone arrange for my entitlements.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.
– Abraham Lincoln –
On Item 5, Bullet 5: Several times a day I think of something that would be a great topic and then I think of at least four bloggers who would do it justice. Sadly, I am never one of those four.
Hope your nap was lovely. You worked hard on #400. It shows.
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Thanks Hippie. I like your writing. Maybe I’ll just start reblogging all your stuff – then I don’t have to write anything.
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Here’s a sure fire way to instant popularity. 1. Do something really stupid. 2. Have someone videotape whatever stupid thing you’re doing. 3. Post it on You Tube. 4. Wait for your 15 minutes of fame. 5. After 15 minutes, go back to blogging and enjoy it’s anonymity.
Your pal, Al. (and reigning treasurer of NBFP club)
P.S. To all club members reading this comment….your dues are late!
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Good idea Al. I do stupid things all the time. I’ll have to get The Car Guy to videotape them for me. My Son-in-law can post them on YouTube for me. (Like I said, I’m finding people to do things for me.)
As for the dues for the NBFP Club – members, please ignore Al. After he paid the IRS he had no money left for food, so he ate all the dues (dark chocolate) that you sent him. In addition, he did not send me the chocolate that I am entitled to as your very worthy President!
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Congratulations on reaching 400.
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Thanks Mike. By the way, I think I am entitled to a few of your very excellent HDR photos too.
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Reblogged this Mike Hardisty Photography and commented:
Help Margie, get what she so richly deserves….have a read and perhaps press the follow button.
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That is very nice of you Mike. Thanks.
It was a sad day for the NBFP Club when you were Freshly Pressed. I put you on our Alumni Roster, but it just isn’t the same as being a member, is it!
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Good luck! I’m with you on #2… hmmm, that whole getting famous thing just not quite working out for us. Oh well, 400 is a pretty cool milestone. That’s very prolific!!
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Hi Steve. I want to reblog all your stuff too and cash in on your Freshly Pressed fame.
You started your blog before I did – you know as well as I do what it takes to keep doing this!
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I have about the same views per day that you do. I am not immensely popular based on my greatness alone either. What is wrong with this world? How do people get over 4,000 followers? Is there Kool-Aid involved? I want to know.
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Good questions, Alice. I’ll get some of my Entitlement Staff to look for some answers.
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HI Margie… I think this post was very well put (or did your ghost writer do it?). I have had a roller coaster ride of views and followers with ups and downs and I am not sure what made them come, or go. I’ve decided they are just fickle, or too busy, or no longer blogging themselves. I read that most blogs stop after 1-1.5 years, so maybe they are the top right now, but for how long??? If you add up all your views over time then you WIN!
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Thanks for your insights CTB. This post is mine – I haven’t found any ghost writers yet!
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Congrats on 400 posts and here is to 400 more 🙂
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Congratulations on your 400th post. I want you to write about 300 more posts for my blog so I’ll be even with you. Maybe we could start a club that just goes around clicking on blogs. They wouldn’t have to read anything…just click to get our stats up. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m waaaaay to lazy or involved, or plain ol’ apathetic to be in the top percent of bloggers.
There’s a freelancing (writers) site in which you can ask for bids for 10-100 posts. Pay is about half-a-cent a word. Sometimes I wonder if that’s how some folks are so prolific. Some folks are prolific. They’re everywhere…doing guest posts, commenting, on forums. Good gravy, don’t these people eat or sleep? Which by the way…speaking of entitlement….I’d like chocolate with every post I read.
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Barb – you do know how easy it is to reblog other people’s posts, though I guess 300 of them would be stretching the limits a bit.
I don’t understand why anyone would pay someone else to write for them. What would be the point?
Like you, I am way too lazy to do what it takes to become a top blogger – though I would likely work a little harder if there was a chocolate reward at the end of every post I wrote or read!
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I thoroughly enjoy your blog. I have had one for quite a while now but need to get more consistent at posting. It has been more difficult since my husband died in November, but will improve.
I do pretty good flower shots and you did not say anything about mine! *Now pouting*
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I know it has been a difficult time for you Rose. It is hard to watch dementia swallow up a loved one. I hope your photography helps you find a happier place.
Yes, you do have lovely flower photos.
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I think the most popular blogs are the ones concerned with ‘How to make money with your blog’ and ‘How to win more followers’. I hope Google will index this comment of mine now and attract related searches to your blog 🙂
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Excellent point – let me add some more words that people are searching for: Angelina Jolie; Dancing with the Stars; Tiger Woods; Top Ten (Anything); Easy Ways to Lose Weight; watch TV online; nudists; Black Friday ads; Justin Bieber. If I want to be popular, these are things I need to start blogging about!
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So I am looking forward to your Search Term Poetry 😉 As a side effect you could re-use these most popular terms and hopefully reenforce them … luring more searching souls to your blog!
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Oh my! I knew you had created Spam Poetry, but I did not realize you also penned (or more accurately typed) Search Term Poetry. Okay, here goes (with all spelling mistakes left in):
what’s so good about aging?
my silver hair
costco desserts
dress like a hore
beauty can’t be purchased
gray hear in females is it a sign of power
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This is sublime! You need to turn this into a blog post! I am so jealous – my search terms are not very original any more and unfortunately repeat themselves now. Therefore I rather craft spam poetry but search term poetry for the time being – but I hope for better search terms by the end of the quarter (next scheduled poem).
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You always give me a good chuckle when you go off on a fun rant like this. Thanks for the chuckle. 🙂
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Thanks E.C. I find rants more effective if I use myself as the scapegoat. I don’t like to belittle others – but I do like to point out the sometimes strange logic I discover in news stories.
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I feel that I am entitled to be part of your movement.
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I’d be pleased if you would join. I like the way you write. Perhaps you could be one of my ghost writers. By the way, since I am Canadian, and you are American, our movement is now international. I think that makes us entitled to . . . something, but I’m not sure what yet.
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We should receive some kind of international aid.
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Congratulations! Did you write this or perhaps someone else? I think your posts are brilliant but self satisfaction is rarely achieved by those that are really driven. I hope you find peace and maybe a private jet?
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I wrote this all by myself. A private jet – now there is a real symbol of entitlement!
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You are very, very talented! Remember this !
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Entitlement is an interesting thing. Everyone wants it and think they deserve it. Nobody wants to do the work to get it.
However, 400 blogs is an amazing accomplishment. You are entitled to a little chocolate treat. I will be happy to supply it when I see you next.
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I think you and I are entitled Joy – maybe a few perks for having spent time living in the Middle East!
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As a non-dues-paying member of the NBFP club, I applaud you for the 400 posts. I, personally, take pride in the fact that I rarely get more than 5-10 visits a day…probably because I’ve been so lazy. My posts are few and far between, barely just cracking the 50 mark after several years. But there’s so much in my brain ready to pop out…just can’t find the way. 😦
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To be very honest, to me the best part about blogging is the give and take discussions in the comments! You appear to have those kind of visitors, so I guess you post enough and get enough traffic!
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I fully agree with you, Margie! My numbers are abysmal, I better not mention them – but I also enjoy the comments so much… in particular when different threads on different blogs get entangled in such a funny and intriguing way.
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Well, I searched “nudists” and got sent here. I am a bit disappointed that there is no nudity that I can see, but then that’s sort of like my life. My wife insists we undress in the dark. I’ve forgotten what the female body looks like. I get enough of the male body at the gym and, from what I’ve seen, I think all women are entitled to whatever they want if they have to look at us walking around en dishabille, as it were. But chocolate? My incentive to post more would be wine. I love this post and I love all the people that have commented above. I m going to follow you but I am entitled to nudity every once in awhile! And wine!
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I can’t imagine how a search for ‘nudists’ got you here! But, if you are going to follow me, I’ll follow you!
I highly doubt chocolate will lead to sudden fits of nudity on my blog, but I’ll explore the wine avenue and see what comes off…
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