Intention-ally Taking my Time…

 Thank you to Ruby for providing me/us with some much needed inspiration today with her most recent post.  Life has gotten a little busy lately and I feel as though I have been neglecting my blogging life somewhat.

What inspires you to keep blogging? 

I guess I should first answer this by explaining why I began blogging in the first place.  Within the last year or so, I developed a long-distance friendship with someone that brought out the literary side in me that I had previously thought was long since forgotten.  Life and times became a little too much for the friendship and some of our communication had tapered off to the point that I began to feel as though I wasn’t writing enough to satiate my creative side.  Plus, I had already been keeping  literary journals (computer and hardbook) of my poetry and short stories and the move to a blog allowed me to communicate (and obtain feedback) from a real-time audience.  God willing, the initial, inciting friendship continues, and my friend and I can still indulge ourself with some creative crumbs from time to time…

So, understanding and feeling the need to quench this desire, I investigated and established a blog.  The first blog was a bust.  It crapped out long before it even got off the ground because it lacked a human element (all I wanted to do was write a bit of fiction based on my spiritual experiences which had recently begun to take shape on a macrocosmic and microcosmic level).  Then, I found WordPress and made my blog more “human” by adding quirky bits of my personality into the blog – hoping to attract some readers.  There is much yet, to tell of my life’s journey (hard knocks, spiritual enlightenment and all), and I am intentionally taking my time here. 

Speaking of taking my time – part of my modus operandi is just that – to reveal bits of my life and experiences to my readers one tantalising layer at a time.  At times, my blog might seem pointless and frustratingly dull…but it’s alot like looking at the Milky Way through a night sky….If you put your telescope lens on a blank spot, devoid of visible stars, you cannot simply denounce appreciation for the larger cluster of stars and nebulae of that larger Galaxy until you adjust your focus and take in the larger picture by zooming out with your lens.  Perhaps, this blog is just my version of the Grand Striptease of the star-lit Circus that is Life.  If we were all to quickly strip off all of our layers, it would make for instant gratification, but my guess is that everyone enjoys a bit of that maddening, prolonged activity known as “foreplay”…..

What inspires you to keep responding?

-People like Ruby, OB, V, Simonne, Anthony, Deb, Bill, Pixie, (Grace, when she’s around)…If I left anyone out, my apologies.  The fact that each of these people is living, breathing and experiencing life right along with me, at this very moment, inspires me to respond to their comments and blogs.  I am compelled by your stories, your reactions, your comments and your presence in my life.  You take the time – that precious time – on a regular basis to share, love and laugh with me.  I could not be more humbled or honoured to have each and every one of you in my world.  I thank each of you for being present in your own special ways.

Why do you comment on blogs? 

-I comment on blogs because I feel as though have something to share and I want to show my support to my friends.  And, some of you keeners may have noticed that I tend to reveal more about myself in the “comments” section of my blog and other people’s blogs than anywhere else.  I guess I do this because I am a bit of a Relator.  I am really uncomfortable with chatting myself up on my own site, unless I can make it a fun or quirky literary piece.  I really have alot going on in my life and I have done alot of neat and wonderful things, but I guess that my humble self is more interested in “other” people!  Isn’t that funny?  So, to reiterate once again, I comment on blogs because I have something to say, to share.  I comment because I care.  I comment because I want to show my friends that I support them in their day to day trials etc.  – because it is these things that make us human, relate-able and loveable.  And, we are all so very relate-able and loveable. 

Do you feel like you should respond when people comment on your blog?

-I feel as though it is polite to reply to each comment on my blog, because someone has taken the time to communicate and share their thoughts and feelings with myself and other bloggers (I was raised to mind my “P’s” and “Q’s” – some of you may even know what that means!).  At times, someone’s comment might round out a conversation, or someone might be making reference to another comment earlier in the queue of comments…and in those cases, I will tend to let the comment sit on it’s own (adding to the effect of the comment, I guess).  To be honest, although I am happy to have new visitors commenting on my site, I am somewhat reluctant with new people/commenters at first, because I want to be sure that these people have a good idea of the flavour of this site.  For example, if someone hasn’t taken the time to read through my posts to discover that I am open-minded religiously, I am obviously going to take offence if someone takes “humour” in my Catholicism.  Also, I am a very perceptive individual and I am always searching for patterns in responses and I am always considering the intentions of people’s responses too.  Thus, I try to be as equally careful about my comments on other people’s sites (the last thing I really want to do is offend someone, but if I have to assert myself gently, I will). 

Do you go to other people’s blogs and leave comments when they do on yours?

-I visit my “regulars” almost daily.  Some days I am simply at a loss for words (I think my ability to articulate my thoughts is better on some days than others) and I don’t post comments.  On occasion, on days like these, I will not even post at my own site.  This is not to say that I don’t have anything to say to that person or that I am with-holding my comments for personal reasons (or something is even wrong in my daily life to prevent me from posting), I just means that I would rather visit, appreciate and move along.  Other times, with “new commenters”, I might find that when I visit their site, I decide that we really don’t have anything in common and I would rather not continue to initiate a blogging relationship with that person.  And, honestly, I think that is really how I approach blogging to some degree.  I think it is polite to put out a little feeler to get an idea of what a person is like before initiating a friendship (consider that first little comment as a “hello” handshake…if you can make eye-contact and continue to enjoy one another, then great, continue the banter….if not…that is ok too…move on…there are plenty of “blogging-fish” in the sea).  I also extend the same belief in my real life situation, as I find that I prefer to have a fewer number of close friends.

Do you link to other people’s posts or articles  on blogs and reference them?

-When and if I am inspired by someone’s posts or articles, I will certainly link and make reference to them (I often like to give this person a “heads-up” first, but usually, there is often an established relationship there first, and it is understood that linking-before-asking is quite ok).

Do you have more angles on this I haven’t mentioned here? 

-Well.  I guess the only thought I have now is “What next?”  I guess that depends on the direction that life takes me.  If for some reason I end up away from a computer for a few months (which is certainly a concern in the next year or so), I might be prevented from blogging regularly – but this would be explained and I would not be lost forever.  I guess, I will continue to be inspired by my life and the things around me and continue to spatter this space (and the spaces of others) with my thoughts, ideas and tantalising bits. 

Thanks for the mermalade-fresh inspiration today Ruby!

Love to all…!

-PM