Addicted to not blogging

It's easy to become addicted to blogging. Has anyone measured the dose of adrenaline produced by one more post, one more comment, one more referral? I don't expect hundreds of thousands of hits anytime soon, but, as with anything in life, I take satisfaction from my accomplishments regardless of how I compare with others.

Lately, though, I've encountered the reverse phenomenon. I've become addicted to not blogging.

It started with an unplanned confluence of events. Crunch time at work. Then a series of minor colds and ailments which served to keep me in bed, while only aggravating the office crunch.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of an increasingly-imminent occasion, my wife and I have been frantically engaged in preemptive shopping, reading and consultation on matters related to childbirth. When it comes to doctors, we prefer to deal from a position of strength. We like to know as much or more about a subject as they do before entrusting ourselves to their care. How hard can it be anyway?

Suddenly I found I didn't have time to read the blogs every day, let alone write anything myself. Before long I stopped thinking obsessively about posting topics. I no longer kept a stack of posting ideas in my head, or in a handy computer file. I started getting work done. I became increasingly expert on matters related to midwifery.

Most surprisingly, though, I lost that blogging urge. That constant itch to bang out a new post. That need to refresh the hit counter. That eagerness to see what comments I've provoked (usually none...).

Each time I thought about posting, I thought twice. Why bother? What do I need it for? I'm happy just the way I am, Mister Rogers. I dare say I got a certain high from the "act" of not blogging, a certain rush every time I didn't surf to blogger.com.

Believe it or not, I even failed to note my first blogoversary. I just forgot all about it. Really.

I'm even having the hardest time typing this post. I feel the weight of weeks of not blogging on my shoulders.

Inertia works both ways. A moving body is hard to stop, and a stopped one is hard to move.

I don't know how long I'll stay addicted to not blogging. Consider yourself warned.