My readers

One of the features of the new Google blog system is that you can get all sorts of statistics about your blog & its readership. One of the things that bemuses me is that you can find out how many readers you have and what part of the world they come from, though not so detailed as to their identity. The thing that bemuses me is that a large part of my readership comes from Russia. 

I noticed this readership dried up during the month of August. It's back again now. What I can't understand is what the attraction of my blog is for an unknown Russian, let alone so many of them. And why they only read on weekdays & not in high summer. My conclusion is that I must somehow have got into an English course somehow, an example of the use of the language & a possible source of what everyday life is like for someone living in this country. Their disappearance in summer is due to the fact, as in this country, educational courses stop for the summer.

If that is the case, why choose my blog for such a purpose? It's not as though my literary skills are exceptional. I may use a wider range of vocabulary than some people. I think it is fairly obvious I am well educated from my use of words. But it's not as though I'm the great stylist, or the most subtle user of the language & grammar. 

As for the subject matter, my life I wouldn't have thought was particularly interesting or even typical. With being disabled what I can do is limited. I don't get out that much, have a wild social life, have a fascinating job. I just sit at home most of the time, doing jigsaws, listening to the radio, watching the TV, reading, chuntering with the Fox, enjoying food & wine, the garden & its wildlife - not exactly a lot.

Or am I actually under observation by the KGB? They can't believe all this everyday subject matter is real & are trying to sort out some coded message. If that's the case they have a long job ahead of them as there isn't any.

Other members of the audience I can understand. Most of the British readership is primarily going to be family and friends. It is for them I essentially write. It seems an easy way to involve them in my life, reassure them we're still alive & not doing too badly. I know some of my cousins. who I've only really got to know this century, found it a useful means of finding out something about me & what interests me. They've even said they often find it amusing, though I haven't had anything very entertaining to write about of late, just rather grim news on the health side.

I suppose, too, I write this blog as a sort of way to get things off my chest, to let them out rather than bottle them in. I also get a certain pleasure in recalling incidents & observations that have given me pleasure before, so doubling the experience. I hope, too, that it will give some pleasure to any readers. I do try to bring a bit of variation in what I write about, at times difficult when I don't actually do much. But then one thing I am still capable of doing is thinking, ruminating on things, so I try to share some of those stray thoughts.

I often speculate about my readers & what they find of interest  in what I write. But this Russian audience really intrigues me. Why don't one of you make a comment to explain the fascination?