Dont Mind Me
A couple of things – Dan will be my tenant over there for just a short time, he will be packing up and moving out today. He has been a good tenant….except for some rumors of strippers or something. Anyway, if you haven’t already, go see him and tell him you found him here….if you’ve already been, go again – theres always something new.
Also, its time for the 2006 Bloggies. You get there here: http://2006.bloggies.com/
Go nominate some folks (especially those on the left side of my blog, under links).
Ok, now…..on with my thought of the day….actually I had this thought last night and it just hasn’t left me, so I thought that I would see what you guys have to say about it.
Have you ever thought about who reads the crap that we spew from our minds on our blogs? Do you feel a sort of responsibility that comes along with it?
I don’t know why, but lately I have felt this weight that accompanies my blogging….which is strange because I do this for me. But – sometimes I feel like I need to be something I’m not – strong, knowledgeable, responsible…. I don’t know what the deal is.
I’m not an expert at anything. I mean, I can do some web work, graphic design & video stuff that I do at work…but I am not an expert in anything that has the slightest thing to do with mental illness, self injury, child abuse, religion, or anything of that nature…all of which are things that are discussed here on occasion. I feel a strange responsibility right now. I don’t really like it. I can talk about my experiences…but I’d hate to know that someone put much stock into my opinions or took my experiences to be the gospel.
Does my family end up here somehow? Who floats along and lands here on a daily basis? Why do they care about what I have to say? What impact does it have on them? What happens when blog life and real life collide?
Anyway….I don’t know why I am bothered with this.
The views and opinions expressed on this website are the views and opinions of the author. Please notice that they are only views and opinions. They don’t matter. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are not to be taken as expert advice or knowledge. Proceed with caution.
posted by Jil at 5:31 AM
8 Comments:
This is what I think: even tho I have known you since you were running amok on the playground in elementary school, every day I learn something new about the issues you care about and the ones that have impacted you during your formative years--those issues that influenced you enough to cause you to blog them for the rest of us. I look at your writing as a way to educate me about what you have experienced in your life. You just lay it all out there both good and bad, and I read thru it and take what I need. I can't go back to 6th grade and make things better for you now, but I can pass along your wisdom to others who are dealing with bipolar struggles. I think you have helped so many folks, esp. younger ones who don't know where to turn about half the time, as well as having opened the eyes of those who travel thru life oblivious to the struggles of others. I wonder: if all this blog stuff had been around when you were a kid, how would it have affected you? I believe it would have been a source of strength and comfort to you to realize that other folks have some of the same problems to deal with as you did. You are taking up the slack that the rest of us missed thru our ignorance at the time. I know you have helped some kids that would never talk to anybody about the things they are going thru. And you have never set yourself up as some sort of an authority on the matter--you are just putting your thoughts and observations down as you navigate thru life. I hope you will continue with your blog for a long, long time.
7:01 AM
Of course. And the worse part is that the more feeback and commentary that you get, the more responsible you feel.
Everyone of us has a variety of triggers, and you find yourself almost cnesoring so you don't hit anyone else's triggers.
But I don't think there's a better support system than we have.
8:39 AM
Hey Dan, you have the blog life / real life issue, dont you....how do you deal with that? Its hard to be honest and lay everything on the line when you know that someone who knows you in "real life" reads what you write.
8:50 AM
Oh, I so hope you don't take my comment the other day to mean that I'm looking toward you for guidance and answers and such... cause I'm not, really. There's books and doctors for that. But a fellow traveller who can warn about which motel has bloodstains on the floor and bugs in the bed (at least when you were there) would be nice.
I deal with the real life thing a lot. I started my blog thinking that no one I knew would ever read it. And then we had the baby and the blog was the easiest way to let people know. Who knew they would check my archives? Certainly not sleep-deprived self-esteemless me. Uh oh. HUGE problems. But the thing for me is that I alway write as honestly and generously as I can. So that even if my family has a problem with what I say at least I can say that I said it with integrity. It helps that I'm a confessional poet and so I've had a lot of practice sticking to my guns about what I've written and forming boundaries with loved ones about my freedom of expression and deciding for myself what that means. I discuss the biggest problem I've ever had with people and irl with my blog here http://anaccidentofhope.blogspot.com/2005/09/problem-with-blogging-is-that-you.html (if you're interested). And the other problem I had was when I discussed my serious depression and it freaked my partner out (she's pretty private and she thought that if I was willing to discuss my depression on my blog then it must be much worse than I was saying) and she wanted me to stop blogging. But we worked that out, too.
Ooops, this is very long. I promise that most of my comments are not this long usually.
9:27 AM
Trista - nope, its not you or anyone else in particular thats made me feel this way. I am not sure what my deal is. I guess Ive been noticing an increase in traffic here and I just get a bit self-conscious about what I share I guess...I dont know.
I get what youre saying about the motel thing and that makes me feel better. I guess I can sort of give people a heads up about which fast food joints have given me rats in my chicken or something (WTF??)
You have the cutest baby ever.
10:22 AM
Hmmm. Good question.
I have no fear.
People in my real life can accept me or not/ accept what I'm thinking or not.
Yep. No fear. That is until someone starts stalking me.
5:03 PM
I am honored to be on the left side of your blog. Beats being on the right.
I'll be back to inflict more commentary on you.
2:30 PM
I don't think we write crap, personally. I don't read crap and I don't worry about who reads what I write.
Write a blog that you would enjoy reading and you will tend to attract people who share your passions of life.
8:44 PM
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