To Stalk...

–verb (used without object)
1.
to pursue or approach prey, quarry, etc., stealthily.
2.
to walk with measured, stiff, or haughty strides: He was so angry he stalked away without saying goodbye.
3.
to proceed in a steady, deliberate, or sinister manner: Famine stalked through the nation.
4.
Obsolete. to walk or go stealthily along.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to pursue (game, a person, etc.) stealthily.
6.
to proceed through (an area) in search of prey or quarry: to stalk the woods for game.
7.
to proceed or spread through in a steady or sinister manner: Disease stalked the land.
–noun
8.
an act or course of stalking quarry, prey, or the like: We shot the mountain goat after a five-hour stalk.
9.
a slow, stiff stride or gait.
Origin: 1250–1300; ME stalken (v.), repr. the base of OE bestealcian to move stealthily, stealcung stalking (ger.); akin to steal Related forms:
stalk⋅a⋅ble, adjective
stalker, noun
stalk⋅ing⋅ly, adverb







I decided to post this definition because I believe I have become a stalker. I am not the kind of stalker that sits outside of houses waiting for another glimpse of my prey. I am the cyber-blog-stalker. There are a number of blogs that I check everyday to see if there are any updates or new posts. Most of the blogs I check are not people I know. People that I have never met and will never meet give me small glimpses inside their daily activities. I have become an admirer of MckMama...from afar of course. I have prayed for Kayleigh...from afar of course. I even got duped by "B"...from afar of course. I have watched Brayden and Harper grow...from afar. My heart has ached for the Macs...from afar. Do you think it concerns them that people all across the country are stalking their blogs? Seriously, do you ever wonder if Angie wakes up in the night terrified that a crazed blog stalker is outside her house? The more I type, the more I feel like I might have a blogging addiction. Is there a 12 step program for blog addicts?



"Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am a blogaholic."



Do I have to track down all the blogs I left negative comments on and apologize? I openly admit I have only left one negative comment on a woman's site who declared that parents whose children have food allergies are bad parents. She was a little strange for me; I haven't stalked her since.



I decided to take a little test to see if I need professional help. My results were:



You are 1% Stalker!

You aren't a stalker by any stretch. You don't even seem to have much of an interest in anything. Do you even have a pulse?





The quiz was silly, but it did make it clear that checking blogs every day is not even remotely close to actually stalking someone. Yes, I have made light of this. I am mocking myself for loving blogs. There is a serious side to this though. There are some predators who use blogs to track down vulnerable people to victimize. Clearly, I am not an actual threat to anyone. After doing a little research into the cyberstalker, I have determined that I probably have committed a cardinal sin of blogging. I have given too many personal details to the world. Anyone who wants to find me has the ability to do so. I ask you this....how does one blog without pausing to consider "What have I done?"