Diabetes Blogging Chicken and Community

Today is #dblogcheck day... you know, the one where you leave a comment on all the diabetes blog posts you're reading. Thanks to Christopher Snider for getting the ball moving on this check-in effort, btw.

**(Oh, and hat-tip to Kerri for clearing up on Twitter recently that this wasn't #dblogcheckin, since that sounds too much like #dblogchicken... with a chicken in the crockpot last evening, I had to jump on that.

Yes, the D-blogging chicken did get to pose for a #bgnow Tweet. But sadly, the chicken is no longer online post-dinner. I must say, he did go well with some white wine and rice at dinner last night. So, props to you, DOC Chicken.)**

OK, silliness aside.

Honestly, I wasn't going to post anything today. There's a lot of diabetes news happening and I'm caught up in that, so really I was just going to read a small handful of D-blogs, comment on those, and go about the day's business.

And coffee... because, well... of course. How can there not be coffee?!

Anyhow, reading a post by Stephen a bit earlier changed my mind. He wrote about the power of comments and why he and others write blog posts at all. And then he delved into a bit on why he likes to comment.

I can't say it as well as he has, so I'll let you read his post to see for yourself... but the point: I'm on the same page as Stephen on why I comment. It's therapeutic, and it often helps me figure out what my thoughts are on any given topic. The same goes for writing. It's a way to process what's rambling around in my head, and that allows me to put it down on paper (or virtually) and figure out what I actually think.

Looking back through the years, I've loved all the comments and have truly been enriched by all of them. By everyone in this community. The people in this D-Community are awesome... just look at the latest happenings, with all the #ShowMeYourPump activity going on. It's great.

Oh, and here's me the other day showing off my pump, btw:

Looking back, I got curious about those initial D-blogging days and those first comments. I took a look at my first "diabetes" blog post in March 2007, when this wasn't the D-Corner Booth but only the Corner Booth. That post was about complications, for the most part. And there were only a small number of comments, but these were even more special (even now looking back) because they were my first. Of course, my mom commented. Because she's my mom. And she's a fellow Type 1 who's been at this much longer than I have, so there's that added bonus.

Then there was George! Yes, it turns out the Ninjabetic was my first comment aside from my mom, and what's even more awesome is that a couple years after that debut comment, George left another one that actually let me know about the DOC on Twitter. And that got me onto that social media channel, for the first time....

As they say, the rest is pretty much history!

There are so many diabetes blogs out there and so many great comments you can read through on all of them -- that's the best part of how this Diabetes Online Community (DOC) has grown. It comes down to the simple mantra: You Are Not Alone. I Am Not Alone.

Together, we're telling our diabetes stories. We're connecting with others, on whatever the D-topic may be. Meetups in real life are happening, and it's just about finding people who "get it" and make you feel better when it comes to diabetes. Whether it be something serious... or as light-hearted and humorous as taking pics of your Dexcom next to a crockpot chicken, all in the name of D-Community fun.

Thanks to everyone for reading, writing, commenting -- now, in the past and down the road.

You all rock.