"People hardly ever make use of the freedom which they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as a compensation.""One thought succeeds another; just as one is thought and I want to write it down, comes a new one - hold on, catch it - madness - insanity!"
As my days with Thomas Merton come to an end, days with Soren Kierkegaard begin. Soren squeezes my brain harder.
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In 2005 I began this blog as a place for my written-down thoughts to land and be kept for my perusal. Also, I wanted centralization for sharing news of my family to my extended family, you know, my brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, parents.
The former is still in play. The latter is a waste of time. My family doesn't come around to visit, except for one beloved uncle in one town and an equally beloved aunt in another state. I think they find interest in my words which is happy for me.
My blog address has been given to my family repeatedly, but they tell me they "forget about it, even though it's bookmarked." This is unhappy for me. The sharing of my personal journey is largely who I am. Sad that it means little to people who mean much to me.
Oh well.
Positively glancing at the experiment of this sharing of mine, I find joy in the making of friends near and far and farther still. Beyond the sounding board effect is the stretching, the influence of new ideas introduced on their blogs and from their comments here and there.
Blogs are good.
So are friends.
"Thanks, you guys!"
14 comments:
My family is the same, so I just consider all the bloggers that visit my 'family'. Life is short, keep folks as close as you can before it's too late. Families in the 'real world' tend to take each other for granted. That's why so many shady relatives get elevated to near saintly status when they're gone. Guilt knows no bounds. Guess that's part of the 'Big Plan':)
Mike, your comment comforts me. Bloggers: my family. I like it!
Why is it thus that we take one another for granted, then weep over caskets? It has always baffled me. Always.
Good advice to keep folks as close as we can, to try our best. Not only is it pleasant in this life, but should keep the guilt at bay when others go to the next. ; )
I enjoy you too, Cherie!! I'm sooo happy we found each other!
My family, except for SME, and friends are the same. I started the blog when we started homeschooling. I knew I wouldn't have time to send everybody newsy emails, so I'd fill everybody in on my blog.
These same people keep calling and emailing me, wanting to know what we've been up to. They still haven't figured out that I update my blog, and that it isn't a one-time thing. *sigh*
I think some people just will not read blogs, at least not more than once. Many of my family members and friends fit into that category. I've rationalized that if God Her/Him Self wrote a blog, some folks would say I just never remember it!
And then there are the people who've never met me, and probably never will, who are somehow drawn to my blog.
It's a (bitter)sweet mystery of life!
Isn't it so. a bittersweet mystry, how those who claim to care... simply ignore and they are fine with it.
Tom
Tshs: Yeah, sigh. Once again, you, me, same page. ; )
Ann: God Himself - think you may be right.
"And then there are the people who've never met me, and probably never will, who are somehow drawn to my blog." It really is a mystery, isn't it. : )
Tom, it makes me wonder what blind spot I have that may be upsetting someone. Good to examine such things, no?
Thanks to you four for the comments.
First of all, lovely tree.
Although I know you intended originally to have your family read this blog to keep up to date with you, I have found that sometimes the family reading the blog thing isn't always the greatest. Sometimes they misunderstand, sometimes they get critical...I don't know. But, I guess the lesson here is one of expectations and being attached to outcomes - always a good one, even though it's usually accompanied by disappointment.
But, then there were the huge positives for you of "meeting" new people, so you could say it balances out in the end somewhat.
I like your post, and the blogging thoughts here in the comments. I think, Cherie, that many people don't yet get blogging; it is a blind spot in that way. When I first heard about people journaling online I thought, how sad. But I didn't know a thing about it yet. And in many ways it's still being invented.
Cherie, I know what you mean... Most of the folks who come to my blog are people I have never met. And sometimes when I have told people about my blog, they actually groan, like I'm trying to force a 3-hour slide show of the latest family vacation or birthday party on them. Oh, well... Like most bloggers, I write because I have something to say, whether anyone's listening or not.
Love you (and your blog)!
WC, yep, it balances out in the end, you are right about that. And you are right about it maybe not being the greatest thing to have family read this, for the reasons you listed. The lesson about non-attachment - thanks for the reminder. "Non-attachment bestows inner peace, the precursor of contentment..." I have this quote, but I forget it. Again, thanks for reminder. Hey, that's what friends are for, eh, support, among other things.
Thanks, Deanna, for your perspective as well. It is all so new!
And, Pam, yeah, 3-hour slideshow. Thanks for understanding. I, too, write and don't really care who is reading, or so I say, and think I really mean. But I guess deep, way deep down is that perceived need to be recognized by those who've known me the longest, to be accepted by them, and like WC says, it's an expectation that usually ends in disappointment. Just a matter of straightening out my thinking, right? I'll get there - eventually.
Thanks to all of you for your empathy and words of wisdom!
Ah, when I started blogging only one other person knew I did. I was disappointed when family discovered it because I now feel less free with my thoughts.
I can relate to all the comments here. I think this blogging thing is interesting. I want to do (or find) some good social critique of it to try to understand better what it is doing in our lives and what it means for relationships.
For me, it seems a good place to "understand backward" and it has brought me much unexpected community (though that has come primarily through people who are truly connected to my Eugene community).
Thanks for the Soren quotes, you know I enjoy them =)
I'm glad you blog! I feel like I have a friend in Oregon for sure. My family read my blog (most of them) but they very rarely comment.
And in Australia not that many people blog I guess... most of my friends have no idea. Bllllog? What on earth is that? they say. That's not such a bad thing, because people I know reading my blog scare me - they just might not get what I say. You guys... well, you only see what I want to reveal and you have no preconceived ideas or experiences with me in them. :)
Yes, M.E., you do love your Soren quotes. ; ) You know, after reading all the comments I've received on this post, I am beginning to think I will be grateful for the anonymity, and for the fact that family resides in one part of my world, and this blog experiment in another. Thanks for clarifying for me, Marianne (and all the rest of you who contributed as well!). You have some really good thoughts here, Marianne - I sure connect with the understanding backwards experience. Thanks for your insights.
Cecily, You not only have a friend here in Oregon but a place to stay when you arrive!
You have some excellent insights here, too, and I am pondering them. It's true that we only see what each blogger wants us to see, and know, so we get a different perspective than those who know them face to face. It's quite an interesting thing.
I have to tell you all that I met Patti yesterday, a friend I met in the blogosphere. She was warm and friendly and we hit it off right away. "What a marvelous thing," I thought, as I drove away from Deanna's house (where we met). Marvelous to meet someone and find instant kinship. The person behind the blog - a real live wonderful woman. Fantastic!
I'm quite thankful for the people I'm meeting. I'd love to meet the rest of you someday. In the meantime, I treasure the weird, amazing friendships we've begun here.
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