Monday, September 17, 2007

i've seen the light....a few times

So here I sit on a Monday evening reading through other peoples' blogs and pondering how much of their lives are similar to how I perceive them. My mind often idealizes their existence, put their wordy expressions through the filter of my mind and project their movie onto the screen in my noggin. Even their foibles seem intriguing, interesting and lighthearted. I likely project some of my own wants, desires, and "shadow self" into the mix. How much of what I choose to read, or not read, is a reflection of me? Egocentric, perhaps, but there is a level of selfishness in all we do in life. Even the most altruistic endeavor has some level of benefit for the giver, such as that "feel good" sensation we get when we give to charity or that bum on 16th Street. What does this blog perusing mean to me? I think it aids in me focusing on what things are important to me, the things I want, the things in myself I need to pay more attention to and sometime, it's just because I enjoy reading what other people choose to write about through their own filters of experience. So, what does this blog perusing mean to you? Shed some light on this for me, will you?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The first thought was that reaing blogs was just a way to avoid work, but since there are many ways to do that, there must be more to it. Saying connection and validation sounds cliche, but I like being reminded that other lives are going on all around me. It keeps me from getting too self-involved.

Blogs also offer surprises--just look at what so-and-so created, imagined, said, did, took note of, wow!

We probably read blogs for the reasons we read books, watch movies, and listen to songs. Otherwise, I'd be a lady drinking alone in her room...

Anonymous said...

Hi Melissa,
I read (and am always searching for) blogs that inform me on how to be a human. In blogs, I hunt for people who speak their truth -- "real" is what I want -- genuine, down-in-the-mud or up-in-the-sky life. Don't want perfect, don't want things all glossied up or all neat and orderly. I suppose I read for help, to find assistance in navigating life, to find others who are gutsy enough to shake our American cultural no-no rules and just BE whatever it is that they are being in that moment. I'm trying to break through feeling like I must apologize for being human, and reading others’ blogs helps with that, I suppose. In the end, I’m sure some good portion of it is all about seeking to know how alone, or not, we are.

Then again, (the plain and simple version), I just love biographies and autobiographies more than anything. When I was a child, I read every single one in my city’s library. ;)
Stella

Unknown said...

i think that it's easy to look at someone's blog and think they have the perfect life....and that may not be the case....i know that is how it is with me. everything always looks so peachy when they are just snapped moments in time....but you will notice there are no snapshots of the hard moments...and those are what help to define us all.