A blog about a blog
It seems like everyone has their own blog these days. I suppose in the age of social media and decreasing attention spans, everyone is doing whatever they can to feel relevant in a world, where interpersonal connections are decreasing and we are becoming more and more socially isolated. These days it seems, you need to go to extremes to be seen, heard or matter. Social media is actually making us less social.
That’s why we post things to Facebook and Instagram; Things that just a few years ago, we would have been mortified to have shown the world. There must be a better way to “be out there” without exposing that which ought to be hidden. On the flip side, there is much that is artificially hidden, that ought to be out there.I don’t know if the aforementioned is part of my inspiration, but I am sure it plays a role, as well as other contributing factors to this new blog that I’ve launched.
Gd gives everyone talents and tests. Strengths and weaknesses. They are given to us to use, and not to abuse. Sometimes not using your talent is a form of abuse. It is abuse in the form of neglect. Neglecting the world of an opportunity to hear another side of things, since you won’t share.
I believe I was given some variation of talent to write. I come from a line of writers and authors, but other than the occasional pithy one liner, or the weekly Torah inspiration, I really don’t write my own deep personal thoughts.
Thoughts that come to me at random times, and percolate in my head, and that I want to share with the world. Thoughts that might be deep, and even Jewish and Gd related but don’t have a specific connection to a Torah portion, or an upcoming holiday.
Thoughts on life, emotions, personalities or persons. Thoughts on technology, policy, nature or traffic. Random thoughts and musings, that don’t always have a specific place where they belong.
There are so many “good” reasons not to share. Life is busy, I don’t have time to write. I have other responsibilities, and this is not a priority. (Or my personal favorite, if I have time to write, it should be for my weekly column, or a large online publication where thousands will see it. Who wants to hear my personal thoughts?)
One online publication, where I often have submitted articles printed told me that they are going in a specific direction, and they need my articles to fit specific “topic format” and word count (and various other restrictions) going forward.
I told them that I write on inspiration, not to fill a specific need. I have a need to get a thought out, and at times it can be done in a couple hundred words, but other times it may require a whole Megillah. He replied, “well, you should not deprive the world of your words. You should start a blog.”
Which brings us to today. A blog about a blog.
My younger cousin, Ms. Etti Krinsky recently concluded a year long project, to write 52 blogs in 52 weeks, as part of a writing project that she assigned herself. ThisPrivateDiary.com. Worth reading. I watched and waited weekly for her weekly dose.
Some were funny. Some were deep.
Some were random. Some were sweet.
Some were poems, some would rhyme.
Some made me think, some just helped pass time.
Regardless, her dedication and commitment to seeing this project through, inspired me to emulate her effort, and take swing at it myself.
So here goes:
Now you know reasons
You know my why’s
I hope they will be meaningful
And not bring you sighs.
I will try to be vulnerable
To share what’s on my mind
To be honest and earnest
And deliver on time.
I hope you enjoy these,
And find them thought provoking and fun,
And this brings us to the conclusion
Of blog number one.
(MY RULES: I will try to write one a week. My family will come first. I may reuse old stuff that I’ve written before, but I commit to it being mine. I may not do 52 blogs in 52 different weeks, but by the end of the year, I hope to have posted 52 times on these pages. I can assure you they will be random, with no apparent consistent theme. They will likely be filled with grammar and other mistakes, I will chalk that up to poetic license or laziness, your call. I hope you will join me on this journey. Your feedback will always be welcomed.)
Wish me luck.
Picture jbklutse.com