Avoiding Rules And Not Playing In The Sandbox

~ Bitchy After 60

Ever since retiring, I have made a point to avoid rules and structure because I really hate both. As far as rules go, I followed them when I had to but pushed the limits when it came to those silly top-down directives of the corporate world. Working in a old corporation for nine years is enough to cramp the style of any person with even an ounce of creativity. And although I loved being a graphic designer, it was very difficult when under the thumbs of those upstairs who couldn’t think outside the box. Thankfully I worked with great people who constantly had my back, or I would have been fired before my second year.

So why am I yattering on about this now because I have also probably done so in the past… Well, The Hot Goddess nominated me for The Dazzling Blogger Award. Dazzling and bitchy are not two words that I thought I would ever see used together as a description of me. Now The Hot Goddess is a beautiful and intelligent women on a unique journey who writes a wonderfully honest and often very amusing blog, sometimes complete with entertaining blog-related pie charts. So I really wanted to thank her for thinking of me as nicely as possible while declining to play in the sandbox. She did say we were allowed to opt out. You can check out her blog at http://thehotgoddess.com.

So why don’t I want to play: This blogging world is full of challenges and awards that always appear to me like blogging statistic pyramid schemes. They make me think twice before diving in. I only participate if I think something will be fun and not feel like work. This one feels like work. AND there are actual rules. As mentioned above, I don’t always get along with rules so this is strike two. There are also seven questions to answer, interview style, something that makes me feel like I am stuck in the HR department of that old corporation I discussed above. Strike three. Then I have to make up seven questions of my own. I am not that deep so this comes across as not being very enjoyable and requiring too much thought. Way past strike three. And finally, I have to nominate seven other people for this award. But I am a bitch with few friends and actually only follow about seven blogs and some of them are already on the Goddess’ list, so this is impossible and way, way, way past strike three.

So thanks again Hot Goddess, for thinking of me and for providing me with this blogging fodder. I do enjoy your blogs, but I am choosing to play in my garden or kayak the lake rather than enter this sandbox. I know you will understand. I will say, as a half answer to question 3, that sleep has always been my priority over sex. And someday I may write a blog sharing why.

Thanks you for reading.

Photo:  Ostap Senyuk, UnSplash

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18 thoughts on “Avoiding Rules And Not Playing In The Sandbox”

  2. I too am grateful that you decided not to participate. I am flattered to be nominated by Hit Goddess but there are only two bloggers I could have nominated, you and Hot Goddess so that wouldn’t work.

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  4. I’m getting a good chuckle out of this because I was also nominated for the same award, and chose to just answer the questions in the nominator’s comments while thanking her for thinking of me.

    You said a lot of things I didn’t have the nerve to say in my blog, so thank you for validating my feelings about this nomination/game. To me it sounded like a blog chain letter! You do deserve to be nominated and I look forward to your future posts.

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    1. Thank you. It’s nice to have one’s bitchy side appreciated. I have to wonder who makes up these crazy fake things. I did refer to something similar as reminding me of a chain letter in a past post some time ago so I can relate to your analogy.

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  5. I’ve done some of these before, but I’m not a big fan of them either. I hadn’t thought of it as a blogging pyramid scheme, but that’s a pretty accurate description. I don’t mind answering questions or making up questions, but I really don’t like asking other people to do the same. Some will be annoyed by being nominated, and others may feel slighted by not being nominated. It sounds like a giant rabbit hole of trouble which is why I usually pass on these things.

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  7. I generally either politely decline the noms or simply ignore them entirely, for many of the reasons you mention. But every once in a while I will take a swing (with no regard for the rules, natch). Herewith I present Exhibit A, which I’m fairly sure you haven’t seen yet, as it seems you first graced the halls of Bonnywood after I last shared this post (time gets murky when we’re seasoned, yes?), but I may be wrong:

    I’m About to Expose Myself in Public and I’d Like Others to Join Me

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  9. I used to look at those awards and wonder how I would get one. When I was first nominated I realised how valueless they were. Subsequently I noted a pattern of bloggers I admired turning them down. I also noticed that I was never nominated by anyone I considered a mainstream member of my blogging “family”.

    I’m sur some people love them, and fully deserve them, but they aren’t for me and, being a very rude man, I just ignore them.

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