You just never know whose eyes are gazing

I received a call Tuesday night from one of my best friends who could not wait to tell me that both of our blogs were linked to Cleveland.com.

At first, I didn't quite understand what she was saying but after fumbling around to log on and taking a gander, I realized that our blog entries on MLK and Inauguration Day were both linked to the story 'What local bloggers are saying about the inauguration.'

It may sound silly, but I felt as if my writing was up to snuff and had been accepted --not sure by whom, but accepted none-the-less!

After much consternation and learning my way around the blog world, I started blogging mainly to fine tune my writing skills, which had dulled a bit.

I graduated with a degree in English and thoroughly enjoyed crafting interesting anecdotes.

Writing for a news show or news stories is quite different than blogging or creating a novel or any other work. You often have dry topics to try to make exciting....and you only have seconds to tell your entire story.

So without divulging too much personal information and trying to keep wraps on the emotions, I dove into the blogging world.

It's been a blast! I pay more attention to my work blog, Swing by and spray, and often slight my personal blog, Grand slam kinda day. But I am so very proud of each entry I compose for each blog, hoping one day this venture can be a much bigger part of my life or my career.

One thing I have learned about this blogging mania. You just never know whose eyes are gazing.

Back on March 22, 2008 I wrote an entry remembering the Cleveland Indians' boating tragedy on Little Lake Nellie. As many of you may know, my love for baseball and Cleveland Indians' baseball reigns high in my life. Every anniversary brings bitter sweet memories and reminds me how fragile life can be.

As I looked back at that day, the words easily transferred from my finger tips to the computer screen.

I hit 'publish post' and put that story to bed.

Five months later, I logged onto my work email. It was not a normal day. Rather quite an emotional day as Stephanie Tubbs Jones had passed. I received an email regarding my Little Lake Nellie post. As I read each word, each line, I could not believe my eyes, which began tearing up.

I am not going to reprint the note in its entirety. It was beautiful and so touching. I do not want to give the sense that I am exploiting the sender in any way. However, I was floored. I could not believe that my little blog, hardly read by anyone I knew at that time let alone strangers afar, had found its way before the eyes of the daughter of one of my subjects.

She said she came across my blog entry 'randomly.'

She thanked me for my compassion, shared how reading other folks' recollections on her father's story helped her get through as she grew up and then wished me well.

Without knowing it, the daughter of Cleveland Indians' pitcher Bob Ojeda changed MY life FOREVER by her thoughtful letter and kind words.

All because she 'stumbled' onto my little blog.