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There are certain things I make sure I have time for in the week: meeting client deadlines, making (and drinking) coffee every morning, writing a few blog posts, cuddling and singing to my daughters at night, enjoying a glass of wine and conversation with Jason in the evening.  Showering fits into this category, too (at least most days).

There are other things I can sometimes squeeze in and sometimes can't. Like making a lasagna, taking a long walk, catching up with my parents on the phone, gathering dust bunnies on the staircase, trimming my nails. Those sorts of things.

Writing about how crazy-busy and overwhelming life is has just about reached cliche status. I have to say it though, even if it is a cliche: I'm feeling overwhelmed. It's not the various work that needs to be done around the house and yard that's getting to me, or the pressure of updating this blog with fresh posts. What's getting to me is the daunting height of the social-media-networking-popularity-contest-platform-building bar.

When I reestablished my blog a few months ago, I wrote a post (<a href="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/?m=20080715">Blogs and ulterior motives</a>) about why I was back to blogging. I was told to build an "author's platform," and a blog is the best foundation. The writing part has been fun. I'm glad for the motivation and discipline.

But then there's the other stuff. To do it right, you have to read heaps of blogs, every day, and leave thoughtful comments regularly. You need to give shout-outs to your favorite bloggers and hope they return the favor with their own link love. Then there's making friends with (or just catching the attention of) important social media people and "big bloggers" on Twitter and at conferences and meet-ups. I'm still trying to find time to create a simple blogroll. There are so many bells and whistles I could incorporate into the design of my blog—some would be useful, others would simply prove that I know enough about blogging to be taken seriously. But as I said, I can hardly find time to clip my nails, people!

This morning, as soon as I finished a client project, I set aside 30 minutes to hunt down some new blogs. The top post of the first one I looked at, <a href="http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/">Citizen of the Month</a>, immediately amplified my stress. The post is called <a href="http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/10/07/chat-with-a-new-blogger/">"Chat with a New Blogger."</a> This new blogger (who remains anonymous) is young and eager and energetic. She knows who all the "big bloggers" are, and says things like "You've never read them? Everyone reads them." She also talks about how to "get on people's blogrolls" as a way to "get even bigger."

If I had stopped reading at the end of the post, without clicking on the comments, I would have veered dangerously close to the brink of social media despair. But the reader comments cheered me immensely.

"I...don't find the 'big bloggers' all that interesting," one said.  "They are way too gimmicky for me and, as you know, too aware of their 'brand.'"

Another reader wrote "I just like to read good writing. What do you get for being a popular blog anyway?" Not fame or money, she points out.

And then there's this one, which made me laugh: "i have no idea what most of these applications are, i removed my one blogroll and would take down the other one if i knew how. my dog loves me, she’s what makes me feel important."

Finally, this comment left me in a good place: "I’m always surprised how serious some people take blogging. They become so obsessed with their stats, blogrolls, and readership. More often than not, they forget why they started blogging in the first place!"

I feel less overwhelmed now than I did when I started this day. There are lots of good people out there who aren't caught up in the game. And I'm not going to let myself forget why I started blogging in the first place. Not the author's platform stuff, but the real reason: I have stories to tell.