I was speaking with my friend today on the phone, and I told him that I had commenced a blog. He told me that of anyone he knows, I should have one. I don't think that was empty encouragement. My friend isn't one to offer shallow compliments, and besides, he's a prolific writer in his own right. I feel the healthy pressure of living up to his belief. I suppose my reluctance to do this is based on the idea that there are too many poorly qualified folks climbing the pedestal afforded by virtually free access to this global soapbox, and I'm not sure I want to contribute to the empire of noise that has ensued. Yet, I do know I have something to communicate, even if it is just transient day to day thoughts. I meditate on the difficult conflicts in life, be they personal, political, spiritual, or social, and I have formed an appreciation for well thought out perspectives and arguments on all sides of these engagements. I have found that at the very bottom of all arguments, however divergent they appear on the surface, is the tremendous difficulty of dealing with the human condition, and it's inclination towards tunnel-visioned self interest. I suppose I could give in to the temptation to be glib and simplistic, and offer solutions based on the imposition of my worldview, but then I would be coming full circle, back to the "Empire Of Noise" that I so desperately want to avoid being in lockstep with. No, I have a responsibility as a blogger, to tell MY truth, without the judgmental component that demands the reader to adopt it as THEIR truth. I want to entertain, amuse, and enlighten my readers. I want to assure readers that this is not about me, or them, but US, sharing moments that become ours. If the reader finds that they agree with me on certain issues, that's just great, but if they disagree, that is even better, because we will both sharpen our rationales and processes. In terms of opinions and convictions, the journey to those conclusions is EVERYTHING. My closest friends will not be those who ape my opinions (or any others) because they have inherited them from their social or family strata, but rather those who vigorously disagree with me on everything and have carefully thought out their positions. When I have something to say, they will listen, and perhaps modify their own positions if the arguments presented are that compelling. Critical thinking is at a low ebb these days, and if I can serve in some small way to turn that tide, then I can feel satisfied with my contribution.
We'll visit everything... music (I am a professional musico, both in performance and production) and other entertainments, politics, you name it. If you write in and want to engage me on a subject, we'll go there too. To my friend who encourages me in this endeavour, I can only hope I live up to the energies you put into your projects. Now, wagons forward!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment