Monday, August 8, 2011

Ego Trips

Hopefully every gardener has a nursery that they love going to, even if it's just to look around.  Mine is Green Acres and it's right down the road from my house.  I consider myself to be a regular there.  I say that with the full understanding that my definition of a regular is probably totally different than their definition would be.  But for the last several years I have gone in there at least three or four times a month throughout the year so at the very least they have to give me "repeat customer", right?  No matter how they classify me, it doesn't change my love for this nursery.  I love the plant selection, I love the layout, I love the staff, I even love the satellite radio station they play on the speakers at just the right volume.  But somehow I manage to get in and out without being recognized much by the staff.  My outgoing friend and neighbor, Brian, is less of a regular but when he goes in there they know him by name!

A lesser man would have his pride wounded by this, but the truth is, I know I'm a bit of a wallflower and I don't go out of my way to make my presence known.  Not unless I've had a few too many cocktails anyway.  So it's good for me to have a friend like Brian who is willing to stop an employee and ask a question or find a manager and negotiate discounts on expensive items like fountains (more on that in the coming weeks, I hope).  Discounts are nice, but the real benefit of having an outgoing friend is that it gets me out of my shell a bit more than I'm comfortable with.  My default setting is to believe that when you put yourself out there you open yourself up to criticism and life is easier without that.  That said, my experience has also taught me that not much good happens when I hide out in life's corners.

So, in the spirit of stepping out of the shadows, I decided to add my blog to Blotanical a few weeks ago and it's been a great way to put my blog - and, by extension, myself - out there.  As a result, my tiny little blog has started to sprout.  (Sorry for the bad pun.)  It's been especially gratifying to have people comment on my blog posts and send me messages.  But it's been even better as a means of discovering some great garden-related blogs and bloggers.  None of that would have happened if I hadn't been willing to take a step out of my comfort zone.

This iris has absolutely nothing to do with the post.  I just like it.

Call me shallow, but the comments, compliments, and page views matter to me.  It's one thing to write a blog for nothing but the sheer enjoyment of writing and chronicling your efforts, but when you have an audience, no matter the size, it makes everything that much more fun and rewarding.  It's good for the ego.

Speaking of which, the other day I decided to make good use of my lunch hour so I drove down to Green Acres and bought a few plants I knew I'd want to get in the ground over the weekend.  While I was paying for them, the cashier asked me if I had a contractor's acount with them.  Hah!  A contractor's account?  Who me?  No, I'm just a quietly obsessed gardener who happens to come in here A LOT.

"No," I said, "I'm just a customer" and I walked out feeling like a true regular.

16 comments:

  1. I too recently discovered Blotanical and yes it is nice to have a little audience instead of talking to yourself (for a few years). It has taken me out of my own head, which is a good thing. Too often I stay cocooned in the blare of my ipod (currently Juanes) fearing...rejection? It's nice to notice that when one finds the right spot, there's also acceptance.

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  2. May I say, Yes! I feel the same way and I'm having a blast...

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  3. Stephanie - thank you for commenting. I found your blog after you joined Blotanical as well and I've really had a good time reading your posts. You crack me up and I admire your writer's "voice".

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  5. Let me try this again....You have just reminded me of how much I miss going to the nursery. I haven't been since the weather has been 100 and above. You also have a good writer's voice and I am going to enjoy reading your posts.

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  6. Don't start me on the subject of Nurseries - I could be a contractor and still not get a discount at my local. Next time have a few cockatils and when asked say your're a celebrity gardener. Great blog, am enjoying the easy humour (humor) in your narrative.
    Laura
    p.s. we kid ourselves that we blog for ourselves - even roses like to be admired. And Blotanists are very friendly to boot.

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  7. Chad, your posts are always entertaining. I would not have guessed you are on the sidelines in a crowd. You are a good writer and with that I just assumed outgoing. I am glad Blotanical and blogging has been good for you, because I am hoping you keep going strong.

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  8. THIS IS A FUN BLOG. Keep writing please.

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  9. Amy - thank you for the compliment. I'm glad you've enjoyed my posts so far.

    PatioPatch - You've piqued my interest, actually. What's the story with your local nursery? Are they money grubbers?

    Gardenwalk - I can be outgoing, I guess, but only when I know the people I'm around. I've always found it easier to share my thoughts in writing than in person.

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  10. Linniew - Thanks! I plan to keep writing.

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  11. Chad, In some ways I'm quite outgoing; but I also worry about imposing on or inconveniencing other people, so I'm very reluctant to ask for special help. Recently, I've become more willing to ask at nurseries, and it has really paid off. I've gotten a number of plants that weren't out in the regular display area, but were tucked away in a back region. And, at my favorite nursery, the owner now greets me by name. :-) -Jean

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  12. Jean, that's good to hear. I know that at any good nursery, the staff would say they are there to help, but unlike a lot of businesses, I know that staff at a nursery have their "plant chores" to do while they are working so unless they offer I've been reluctant to bug them. I'm trying to get better about that though. I hope some day that they will know my name. It'll feel like walking into my very own Cheers. Minus the beer.

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  13. Enjoying your blog. It's always nice to get a pat on the back for a job well done :-) Some of us write better than we speak. Writing is a way for the introverts in us to be an extrovert.. for a little while...on paper (er...screen). Blog on!

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  14. Thank you, Toni. I totally agree with you about writing allowing us to be extroverts for a while.

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  15. Bumped into your blog via Blotanical, enjoying the topics and tone of your writing. Blogging about plants is good for the soul and getting comments, indeed, is good for the ego, (smile...)

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  16. I'm glad you found my blog, Garden Muses! Blotanical has been an invaluable way for me to connect with other bloggers and gardeners.

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