It happened again today.  I’m sure it’s happened to you, too.  Repeatedly.  And Word Press, you need to do something about it — right away!

What happened was this:  I was taking a nano-break at work, reading a post by Year-Struck that I did not “LIKE.”  Oh it was good.  Beautiful in fact, well written, and heart breaking.  But no, I didn’t “LIKE” it in the Word Press sort of way.

What do you do then, when a piece is sad and beautiful and makes you want to make the writer feel better for getting it off their chest, for sharing, for, well, giving their story? Me,  I stress out completely.  And I don’t “LIKE” it.

I have puzzled about this before.  When I first started blogging, I would read another’s blog and hit “LIKE” and then leave a lame comment saying,

“Well, I didn’t really‘LIKE’ it, but I clicked “LIKE” because, well, I needed to do something.  But I really am sorry that you were hit on the head by a meteorite…” And I’d trail off.  I’d feel inadequate.  As if there was something else I could have done.

You know, Word Press, sometimes I just don’t want to tell somebody who has told me deep, dark stuff through their blog that I “LIKE” it.  It doesn’t make sense.  It is illogical.  It is an oxy-moron to “LIKE” something “UN-LIKE-able.”  Because the post was bad.  Or sad.  Or hard.

And sometimes, Word Press, I just don’t have time to write what I mean to say in a clever manner when:

• A blogger just told me the worst thing that has ever happened in their life and they still have the scars to prove it (hey, I “LIKE” it!);
• A blogger just told me that they have a terminal disease and they will die a horrible death, soon, but that I shouldn’t worry — other bloggers will survive (hey, I “LIKE” it!);
• My head has just exploded from the stress of not wanting to press “LIKE” but having no alternative.

Really, truly, I want to scream,

 All right, I “LIKE” it!

But I don’t.  “LIKE” it, that is.  I want something else.

So for the months I’ve been blogging, I’ve puzzled.  I’ve noodled.  I’ve even gone so far as to put on my thinking cap.  And you know things are pretty serious when that happens.

My first choice for an alternative was

S*cks!

But then I thought of my audience.  We are all basically insecure writers.  And I don’t think that everyone will TAKE that moniker in the manner I’m suggesting. Then again, some folks won’t USE this button in an empathetic manner.  But that’s, of course, highly unlikely.  We are all sweet and kind here in the ‘sphere.

Besides,  I also realized that if I continue using naughty language on my blog, my dream of one day being Fresh Pressed will go down in a blaze of language my mother wouldn’t “LIKE.”

I continued to puzzle till my puzzler was sore.  Until I thought of another option:

Sending Kisses to you!

Doesn’t that just make you feel good all over?  But then, some of us are married and our spouses wouldn’t approve even of cyber kisses.  So that won’t work.

What is a blogger to do????? 

Word Press, we need an alternative.

May I humbly suggest you create the following alternative to the “LIKE” button:

The 54-1/2 Button

Click on it when your heart goes out to the blogger, when you think that their writing is strong and powerful but tells a story that is not necessarily fun or funny and you don’t “LIKE” them being in pain.  Click on it when you think that a lovely photo of the shore will ease their pain.

Or click on it when you just want to confuse folks because they will have no clue what it means.  I “LIKE” doing that.