One of the odd things about writing a blog is that I express my personal views and opinions to the world, generally with humour, sarcasm and stuff added into the mix. Anyone who reads my blog regularly will therefore — and quite reasonably, I think — think that they know me. They know what I think, what I say, and how I say it.

I was reminded of this at the beer festival recently where someone — we’ll call her Cidergirl for now — was telling me how much they liked my blog, and I was again surprised to find yet another person I knew reading my blog when I didn’t even have the faintest idea that they read it. This happens surprisingly often. At first, this made me a little self-conscious, particularly when I know some of the people who read this (hi Mam, Dad, Auntie C!) but the fact that I don’t try to change my personality to ‘fit in’ makes it easier.

I like me. I didn’t always (haven’t we all had some teen angst phase or other?) but I do now, and I don’t see any point in trying to ‘put on’ a different personality to try and make other people like me better. I like me, and if you don’t, well, that’s fair enough, I’d rather you did but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. And that’s why it’s easy just to be me when I’m writing.

And while it was obviously nice for Cidergirl to tell me that she likes my writing, that I am witty, intelligent, sparkling, urbane and indeed übersexy (well, she might not have actually said that last one out loud, but I’m sure she was thinking it, she is only human after all), it also highlights one of the weird things about blogging.

That you know me, but I don’t really know you. I might well know you a little, but apart from particularly close friends and family, the only people whom I tend to know that same sort of information about are my fellow bloggers, when I hear mentions of their lives, their beliefs, and their tastes in music.

It feels a little odd, sometimes, that I’m having this one way conversation, talking to the world, so you get to find out about me, but I don’t really know you.

So this is going out specifically to those readers who don’t comment (or only very rarely). And yes, Cidergirl will think that this is directed specifically at her. It is directed at her, but not just at her. This is for all of you regular readers and never or hardly-ever commenters.

Say hello. Tell me what you think about whatever it is I’ve said. If you enjoy listening to my opinions (and obviously you should, my opinions are brilliant), then there’s a fair chance I’d want to hear yours too. If you feel brave enough, you could even set up your own blog (it really is easy) … let me find out about you.