When I think about blogging I feel an acute tension of audiences. I know many people who read this blog upon a time (and still may) do not consider themselves religious and have no interest in hearing it discussed. I realize that my last post probably didn’t do much to address this group of people. I think what I’m curious about, in many ways, are the things that make us human.
I was listening to the radio this morning, and a morning talk show host was taking calls from parents angered over busing in Jefferson County. Parents were angry at a system which they saw as unjust because it forced their kids to attend inferior schools farther away. How interesting that what was believed to be a tool for justice (and I believe may achieve some of its ends) has become perceived as a gross injustice.
Many people are (rightly) angered by hypocrisy, whether they see it inside the church or out. Many people are saddened by genocide and even by recent wars that America has been involved in. When we see injustice in the world, whether it is in the form of white-collar crime or the mistreatment of those in modern-day slavery, we hate what we see.
I think my sense of justice is often offended when people ignore rural poverty in America. We pretend that the poverty problem only exists in big cities (I certainly don’t deny that the problem does exist there) while ignoring people, like those in Appalachia, who live in abject poverty. When we pretend that these people don’t exist or aren’t as worthy of our help, we devalue them as human beings. That saddens me.
So instead of talking about what makes us “in or out” or “#1,#2, or #3″, I want to ask what rouses you? Maybe it makes you angry, sad, or just confuses you, but what is it?
The first question that I would ask you is: why do you write? I think that answering this question is a pretty important precursor to deciding why you write.
George Orwell wrote an essay entitled “Why I Write”. His thesis is, in short, writing without a purpose (in his case, politics) will end up meaningless. It’s an interesting essay about the process of writing, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.
Personally I don’t completely agree with him. I think that he actually meant to say “Write what you believe in”. A few posts ago you said “I’m sure I will talk about technology some, and there will likely be occasional pictures of me. This blog will likely be heavily focused on religion.”
Personally, I like it. Though I myself am not terribly religious, it is refreshing to think and talk about it every so often. Having done outreach work in west Virginia, I have seen rural poverty, and would be interested in learning more about it. Also, I dig technology, so maybe I’m a bit biased.
KK, that’ll be the end of my non-answer.
Something that I have thought a lot about is the way that people make their mark on the world, as individuals. I know people who are destined for great things — they have their eyes set to the sky, and they are going to make all the wrongs of the world right. I, on the other hand, while incapable of such grand aspirations, have always been better at talking to individuals and helping single people to achieve their own goals.
Question: Where do you fall on (or off of) the above spectrum, and how do you think you will best be able to help with <<>>
I guess another related question would be: is this blog a tool to spread your thoughts? is it a repository for your thoughts so you and a few friends can keep in touch?
Food for thought. I didnt really respond to your question, i realize after rereading what ive written here, but i hope it’s helpful in some way, shape or form.