Dance like no one’s watching: my first ‘real’ blog post

So it’s Friday, and that means it’s the end of another week, and that means that time has well and truly come loose from the chain. I mean, it’s out of control how fast the weeks are whizzing by…

But that’s not what this is about. This is about how this is probably my first genuine ‘blog post’. Can’t you hear that informal tone? See that casual writing style? This is a blog post. That other stuff I’ve been writing is more akin to articles or stories, with research and considered ideas and sub headings. Sub headings!

I’m referring here to a personal blog (which The Unmasked Autistic is), not a business or professional-type blog. I don’t think they could ever write anything like this – this informal. This…waffling?

Which brings me to what this blog post is actually about (no, it’s not about the idea that this is my first real blog post – sorry).

What this is about is how I finally worked out how to add a like button to all my posts and to any comments that are left on those posts. Ta da!

You may be thinking that it shouldn’t be that hard to add a like button. And maybe it shouldn’t be. Maybe it was operator error – I’ll admit it. I’ll take the heat.

But for some ‘like’ plugins you (the very welcome visitor to my blog) would have had to login. And that’s boring because, really, who wants to have to log in to use a personal blog? (I mean I have to login anytime I want to make a change to the website, or write something and post it, or fix something up, or reply to one of the comments you leave – but that’s my problem, I didn’t want to put you through that, too).

Then there were other plugins that I tried. They’d received good reviews, they sounded like they should be simple to set up and should at least work! But they weren’t, or they didn’t, so I ditched them.

Then finally, earlier today, I found one. And the first thing I did was ask my wife to like some stuff. And then I liked some of your comments. And now I’m asking you, dear valued reader – loved reader even, if that isn’t too forward, well it is forward but I’m going to say it anyway – to jump online, when you have five minutes spare, and perhaps like something you’ve read before on the website, a post about my Autistic journey, or a comment that someone has made. You could even read (or reread) the (slightly more professional) post about ‘The miracle of shower therapy’ that I wrote and published earlier this week.

An orange thumb's up icon next to a grey box with the number two in it
This is what the like button actually looks like – just click the thumbs up when you’re on the website to register that you like something

And in return, I will continue to write for you and, hopefully, bring a small moment of recognition, or understanding, or, dare I say it, joy to your day.

Yesterday, I was thinking that this blog and my various postings on my social media channels (which you can access at the very top or bottom of this website) are a lot like that saying: “Dance like no one’s watching.” Only I don’t really like dancing. I think, for me, it’s an Autism thing.

So, instead, I’m going to, “Post like everyone’s reading.” Even if, you know, they’re not.

After all, I’m flying by the seat of pants (and other clichés!) here, making all of this up as I go along.

I’m not even going to ask my wife to read this post before I publish it, which she usually graciously does, and which is probably a huge mistake – me not getting her to read this particular post, that is, not the gracious reading bit, that I love.

So, any typos or errors in this post are mine, all mine as they always are. Feel free to comment about those below too. But don’t you dare like the comments of anyone who points out my typos – to me, that’s just about beyond the pale. 🙂


Click to Donate

Did you find this article helpful? Did it resonate with you or in some way make you stop and think? Writing these pieces takes time and effort, and your support can make a real difference in helping to keep this content flowing. If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more articles like this in the future, please consider donating a small amount to help me cover the costs of running this website. I’m not in this to get rich (and trust me, I won’t! 😉), but your contribution helps sustain the effort that goes into crafting fresh, Autism-friendly content. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, PLEASE GIVE IT A THUMBS UP, SHARE IT WITH OTHERS, OR CONSIDER LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content