Mostly Harmless
I’ve been thinking a fair bit about online/offline living (cf. rantings of 8 August below). Michael Stearns of Upstart Crow Literary has too. In this post, he writes about lacking the time to read as many blogs as he once did, or perhaps would like to. Yet he still encourages writers to contribute their voices to the resounding choir (or less charitably, cacophony) that is the interwebs. (You can also read my rambling response here.)
It seems contradictory. Why throw more wood onto a fire that is already burning merrily? Why add another blog post, another website, another comment when there is already too much to read?
This is a bit like asking, why should I write a book when there are so many good ones out there already? Yes, there are. But YOUR book isn’t out there yet. And your (my) book is an utterly unique expression of your (my) utterly unique perspective, experience, life. And the miracle of that is that although we are all utterly unique, when we write from our most truthful selves, the world nods and murmurs, “That’s right. That’s exactly how it feels.” That is connection of the most profound sort.
So write on. Blog on. The world needs your book, the internet your voice. It will be richer for it.
(And, of course, people will be able to find you when they Google your name and not that wretched second cousin who shares your name but who moonlights as a bounty hunter and is a member of the NRA. Ick.)
Oh, beautiful post. I get so frustrated with all this blogging sometimes. I’m putting this in my Keeper folder so that I can remind myself why I’m doing all of this!
We are all unique, it’s so true. Thanks for these thoughts!
Thank YOU for your lovely response. I too need to remember to keep balance — and to keep faith in my own inimitable voice.