It's the Performance, not the Audience

What's it like to write a blog, you non-bloggers may well ask?

It's like getting all dressed up in white tie and tails, two or three times a week, and walking onto the lit stage of a totally empty Carnegie Hall. You bow to the dark and vacant seats, tune your violin, smile, and begin playing. You end with a flourish, and bow once more to the silent house. The stage lights dim as you walk to the wings, contemplating your next program.

Weird? Not really. You've brought to life the music in your head. For that, no audience was needed. You are satisfied.

But once in a while, as you bow to the darkened seats, your heart skips a beat; you hear the hall echo with the sound of a person clapping. And on such nights, you truly live.