Honestly, nobody has ever asked me this. I believe there are a few reasons. One: I don’t usually have annnnny trouble sharing what I am thinking in any given situation. If anything, the people around me would be more apt to say “I’ll give you a hundred dollars if you’d just SHUT UP.” (Those of you who know me are nodding right now, admit it.) Two: I don’t think there are many who actually want to know what I’m thinking badly enough to pay for it. Lastly, it is likely that I wouldn’t stop at a giving only penny’s worth of information.
It’s true. One instructor in college, though her grades on my term papers have been high, still implies that she’d prefer I had no comment on any topic we discuss in class, even though the course is discussion-based. A classmate and I have not figured out why this is. I may ask too many questions. But, that is because I tend to want to understand the “why” behind just about everything I do. Usually, this is because I will remember better if there’s a point to a thing. This is why I do not have a clue what was going on in Algebra. To quote my friend “I spent an entire semester trying to figure out ‘X’ and the rest of my LIFE trying to figure out ‘Y’. She’s clever. I’m only sarcastic. As a result I depend on her to balance me. She lovingly reminds me in class to just “shut up and drink your tea” and then later validates what remained, successfully, my “inside voice” all throughout the class period. She’s the one I vent to at least once a week where our degree program is concerned.
I recently expressed a desire to write. A few of my friends encouraged me to do so, saying that it did not matter what I wrote about. Just write, they said. The topics will come to you.
It’s true. One instructor in college, though her grades on my term papers have been high, still implies that she’d prefer I had no comment on any topic we discuss in class, even though the course is discussion-based. A classmate and I have not figured out why this is. I may ask too many questions. But, that is because I tend to want to understand the “why” behind just about everything I do. Usually, this is because I will remember better if there’s a point to a thing. This is why I do not have a clue what was going on in Algebra. To quote my friend “I spent an entire semester trying to figure out ‘X’ and the rest of my LIFE trying to figure out ‘Y’. She’s clever. I’m only sarcastic. As a result I depend on her to balance me. She lovingly reminds me in class to just “shut up and drink your tea” and then later validates what remained, successfully, my “inside voice” all throughout the class period. She’s the one I vent to at least once a week where our degree program is concerned.
I recently expressed a desire to write. A few of my friends encouraged me to do so, saying that it did not matter what I wrote about. Just write, they said. The topics will come to you.
*crickets chirping*
Then today, out of the blue, I received an email from another friend who thought I’d get a kick out of someone’s botched grammar. We do this frequently, though not to the offenders’ faces. Okay, not always to their faces. Sometimes we do post it on their walls on Facebook. Sometimes we do openly mock them over lunch with our coworkers. In cases where the offense is severe, the founder of the offending material will forward it to the other of us, quickly dial the phone, and we both have a good laugh or shake our heads in disgust and confusion. This is not to say we are grading everyone on Facebook, or that we will correct typos and grammar when chatting in some online forum, but if one sends something understood to be “official correspondence” we consider it fair game. I began to consider a blog relating to such grammatical errors, or rather, my sarcastic responses to them. Too much? I questioned whether or not there are enough people on the world-wide web who would care to read what I had to say in regard to the subject. I also considered that it is probably already being done.
Maybe I will just write about the various incidences that occur as I go about my life. I certainly do have an eventful one. Life’s little frustrations and my take on them, unexpected joys, interesting or unbelievable sights… the internet has opened a door for many would-be authors, some who find themselves actually making a living at it as a result. Granted, I know this will likely not happen to me. Nothing like that ever really does. Instead, things like getting-my-window-smashed-and-my-GPS-stolen-while-in class happen to me. A grocery-clerk-handing-me-my-lost-ten-dollars-that-someone-actually-turned-in happens to me. My-teenager-posting-on-Facebook-in-front-of-God-and-all-his-friends-that-he-loves-his-mother happens to me.
Can I guard my words enough that what should remain my inside voice does? Maybe the fact that my name is at the bottom and the sentiment is there in black and white dictates that I choose carefully. For if the words I choose must remain hidden from some, shouldn’t they be hidden from all? Haven’t all of our mothers uttered those familiar words? *audio dream sequence echo effect* “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Or, more importantly, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord”, Ps. 15:19. After all, God is bigger (read higher ranking) than even my mother.
I guess, in the end, the writing is really more about me doing something I feel led to do more than it is about whether or not anyone wants to read it. Maybe in the future, my kids will find it interesting to have the insight into their mother’s crazy mind. I do not intend to be this long winded with every post (see "SHUT UP" reference above). These are my thoughts as I was attempting to come to a decision on what to do about a blog. Anyway, feel free to come along as I dip a toe in the waters of the blogosphere.
Then today, out of the blue, I received an email from another friend who thought I’d get a kick out of someone’s botched grammar. We do this frequently, though not to the offenders’ faces. Okay, not always to their faces. Sometimes we do post it on their walls on Facebook. Sometimes we do openly mock them over lunch with our coworkers. In cases where the offense is severe, the founder of the offending material will forward it to the other of us, quickly dial the phone, and we both have a good laugh or shake our heads in disgust and confusion. This is not to say we are grading everyone on Facebook, or that we will correct typos and grammar when chatting in some online forum, but if one sends something understood to be “official correspondence” we consider it fair game. I began to consider a blog relating to such grammatical errors, or rather, my sarcastic responses to them. Too much? I questioned whether or not there are enough people on the world-wide web who would care to read what I had to say in regard to the subject. I also considered that it is probably already being done.
Maybe I will just write about the various incidences that occur as I go about my life. I certainly do have an eventful one. Life’s little frustrations and my take on them, unexpected joys, interesting or unbelievable sights… the internet has opened a door for many would-be authors, some who find themselves actually making a living at it as a result. Granted, I know this will likely not happen to me. Nothing like that ever really does. Instead, things like getting-my-window-smashed-and-my-GPS-stolen-while-in class happen to me. A grocery-clerk-handing-me-my-lost-ten-dollars-that-someone-actually-turned-in happens to me. My-teenager-posting-on-Facebook-in-front-of-God-and-all-his-friends-that-he-loves-his-mother happens to me.
Can I guard my words enough that what should remain my inside voice does? Maybe the fact that my name is at the bottom and the sentiment is there in black and white dictates that I choose carefully. For if the words I choose must remain hidden from some, shouldn’t they be hidden from all? Haven’t all of our mothers uttered those familiar words? *audio dream sequence echo effect* “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Or, more importantly, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord”, Ps. 15:19. After all, God is bigger (read higher ranking) than even my mother.
I guess, in the end, the writing is really more about me doing something I feel led to do more than it is about whether or not anyone wants to read it. Maybe in the future, my kids will find it interesting to have the insight into their mother’s crazy mind. I do not intend to be this long winded with every post (see "SHUT UP" reference above). These are my thoughts as I was attempting to come to a decision on what to do about a blog. Anyway, feel free to come along as I dip a toe in the waters of the blogosphere.
I look forward to reading your inner voice, Jody!
ReplyDeleteGreat first post, Jody. Lot of funny parts too. I think this is a great idea. A good place to let your inner voice speak without worrying if you need to shut up and drink your tea. Keep it up, I'll read it. :)I even made an account just so I can comment. lol
ReplyDelete