If you want to find out how much your Blog and connecting to this Community really means to you then have an experience like mine last Night... something apparently called a "False Positive" where when Blogger is doing their Electronic Spam searches it falsely identifies your Blog as Spam and wham... your account and Blog gets deleted! *Gasp!!!*
Yes, it's True... you may have attempted a visit last Night only to discover that Bohemian Valhalla no longer existed!? I was in a bit of a panic, going Cold Turkey if you will... and being Tech Challenged I wasn't sure if there was any bringing it back to Life and Restoring it or not?!? *Wringing of hands, knashing of teeth!*
All of my hard work setting this up and tweaking it, getting it exactly the way I wanted it... establishing a Supportive Following of Dear Blog Friends, was it now in vain? Would they come to visit and think I had decided to end it all?! Would I have to try to start completely over? Would Blogger let me? Had I somehow innocently violated the Terms of Agreement? Could I visit other Blogs even if my own was Suspended? All of these questions and more were swirling in my head! I left some panic stricken Messages at Blogger Customer Support, appealing the decision and my Case... I almost felt like a Defendant in Court accused of a crime I hadn't commit and being my own Counsel, which as you know makes you a Fool! *LOL*
After all, Blogging was my Escape, a place I could come just for Me... a great Stress reliever and Artistic Outlet. And boy did I need a Stress reliever and Outlet last Night and yet the Blog Scare had simply intensified Stress, you know how the smaller thing will always do you in after holding up through the bigger things, the proverbial straw that breaks the Camel's back??!!!
You see, I had just unexpectedly received very bad news about my Mom and Sister-In-Law from my Bro' in Cali last Night. And after holding it all up in Prayer I needed to attempt to relax and de-stress so naturally I came here to Blogland. I was concerned not only for them, but for him, attempting to deal with it all on his own, when his own Health is so very Fragile. I know firsthand how bearing the burden of seriously ill Loved Ones is and it grieved me that he's going through so much all at once and I felt powerless to help. It alarmed me that two Loved Ones were taking a turn for the worse.
And so I had to retire for the Night Blogless... and it made me realize how much I'd come to rely upon my Blog Experience in so many Positive ways that had enriched my Life... and how upset I was that now I didn't have it and it might be gone forever. It seemed silly really since I had actually toyed with the Idea of deleting it and quitting not too long ago when I was in my New Year's Funk. Be careful what you think upon, you might just get it!!!
And though there was absolutely nothing humanly possible that I could do to change the situation with the Crisis involving Mom and my Sister-In-Law, that outcome was completely in the Lord's Hands, and I Hoped our Prayers would be considered and answered... I felt like the one thing I might be able to do was to change this Blogging crisis... and that was a bit comforting I must say.
I was sure the Tech Reps at Blogger must have thought they were dealing with a desperate individual close to the edge... {I was ~ LOL} ... because they were receiving more E-Mail than they must from their closest Friends and Family Members?! *Smiles* And this Morning I was almost afraid to log on and Hope that the problem had been resolved and my Blog & Account had been Miraculously Restored whilst I slept?!
But Joy of Joy it had! *Insert exhuberant Happy Dance!* With a Sweet E-Mail from Blogger Support Staff apologizing for the inconvenience. {Thank You Blogger Tech Team, you guys Rock!} Little did they know that for me at least this was more a wake-up call... perhaps one I really needed... because as with all things in our Lives... sometimes you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone...
Dawn... The Bohemian