Popular

I'm biding my time while I wait for Doug to get back from Salt Lake and tell me all about his very first (mock) trial. I know there was a hung jury, and that Doug's pleased about it because the prosecution (his opponents) did an awesome job. Here's Doug's pleased face.

So...you know how you realize things about yourself and, although they aren't flattering, you go public with them? That's what I'm about to do:

I haven't thought that much about popularity since high school. In college, being liked by hot boys became way more important, to the exclusion even of all thoughts of popularity. Plus, who even tries to be popular in a university setting with 34,000 students? Not me. Probably my younger brother, Marshall:). He'll become student body president (like he did in high school) and set the goal to know every person on BYU campus by name (like he did in high school). I kid you not--it's possible.

But blogging has called up those dusty popularity ideas and I've got to concede that I am not a popular blogger. Whereas many of my friends get 5-10 comments per post, I average about 2. I am, therefore, less popular than those of you who get lots of responses. Maybe a lot of people read my posts, you argue. But my posts don't elicit or require responses.

I've tried to soothe my wounded little writer's heart by reminding myself that few of my family members blog, or look at blogs. But the key to my happiness despite my lack of popularity is as follows: some of my favorite bloggers are those who get very few responses. You know who you are! I luh-huv reading your posts, those of you who bravely post even when no one has responded to your previous post. You are my inspiration.

So, rather than wallow in unpopularity, I'll post. I am a writer. That means I like to write and I care about not only the content of my writing, but the craft of writing itself.

And here are some pictures of Bowen happiness in the last little while: pics of the kids and of my beloved West Virginians and fiancees of West Virginians.