The Blog Effect

As many of my readers know, I had intended this blog to only last for a certain period of time. I never intended this little blog to last as long as it has. I never thought that people would link to my blog. I never thought it would be read in other countries. These things have all amazed me.

Most importantly, I never thought that I would have any effect on other people's lives. I think of this blog the same way I think of eating dinner, get home, eat dinner and write the post for the night. It has changed my life too. I was stunned when the one and only Zuma Dogg sent me a comment and linked to me. I was thrilled when a professional writer became a follower. I cannot begin to say the complexity of emotions I have over the response to my words on Pastor Carol Daniels. How could I begin to have known that would happen in 2008 when I started this blog?

When I am writing, I sort of forget that some of my readers know me personally. When I am writing, I am so focused on what I am talking about that I forget people know me and that this is my blog. A while back I discovered that a friend was concerned over my not dating because they had read about it on my blog. When I am writing, I forget that some people see my face and me in my writing, I have to or my writing would be less truthful, I would hold back more and that would cheat my words meaning.

I was reminded of the effect this blog has on my personal life over the past couple of days. One person told me that I had to keep writing, that the things I bring up need to be brought up. That was my lead pastor. Just because he is out of the hospital doesn't stop him from being an evil task master. Another stopped me and wanted to discuss something I had written and offer me some personal advice. Isn't that wonderful?

I don't cuss on my blog and I don't allow profanity in comments. I read the news everyday and think about what I am going to post. I follow the proper etiquette for quoting other sources and I provide links to the best sources I can find. I attribute where I get my information from so that the reader can check for themselves and so that the originator of the story is given proper credit.

This is not the work of a professional writer, this is not subject specific, this is neither meant to be controversial or noncontroversial, it is meant to be truthful. I do not claim to be the source of all knowledge, more often than not, I am raising questions, you supply your own answers. I don't worry about how it looks, I don't worry about grammar, I worry about content and type it as fast as I think it. This is flow of consciousness at it's ugliest.

For me, the act of writing is sublime and transformative at the same time. Writing requires that we think a little more, the act of codifying a thought conveys that message. If we see something in writing we know someone had a pause between the thought and the act, that it was contemplative. You don't see that with Twitter, no thought behind what is said, that is why it only allows so many letters in a post, so you don't have time to think.

We have stopped teaching cursive handwriting in school and eventually we will stop requiring people to even write then we will end the need for typing, everything will go video. If you knew what was allowed in schools you would understand. We are raising a generation that has no patience and is no longer taught how things work. If the technology goes down, their lives are drastically impacted. The website "Twitter" was having problems and people were freaking out, they felt cut off from their friends, they felt alone.

Writing this blog has been powerful to me on a personal level and I never thought it would be. It effects me because I discovered it effected others. The written word is one of God's greatest gifts to us, it is the power of expression that can last from generation to generation.

I think about our lead pastor tonight, I doubt he would have known about certain things if it were not for the fact that I have written about them here on my little blog. When we write, we should write, we should be truthful, we should express our thought and beliefs in a manner that we think will allow others to understand where we are coming from. We don't have to be right, we have to be honest for that is when writing attains it's worth.

The conundrum of life is which is more important, truth or love? If they can diverge, which should win? Unknowing love or unloving knowledge? Both must exist for their to be lives of worth. There can be no joy in life if either or both is absent. Where does writing fit in with any of this? Writing must be an expression that includes both.

To the people who know me and those who do not know me in person. Thanks for sticking around, I wish you all well.