Blogged out…Again!
Weblogs - boring!
I actually love writing about blogging more than the ‘art’ of blogging itself. (And I use the term ‘art’ loosely when referring to blogs.) When I write, my latest - no - my biggest concern is that I don’t sound dumb. I’m getting completely OCD about grammar, spelling, etc. I read and re-read my posts and they still demonstrate how illiterate I am. In addition, I’m trying not to be gossipy, whiny, or vulgar - yet that is what makes some blogs so damn interesting.
Since I left my job, all the magic has gone out of blogging - well, sort of. I loved posting things that would upset people at work, or at least spark their curiosity about me. It was so fun. Drama is fun, and I expect the people at my old job miss the controversy. But I must admit, I got most of the fodder for my posts from the characters I worked with. (If only I could write about them more!)
Now, as I read various blogs, or see their hi-lights posted on a main page of a blog group, much of what people write seems so…ordinary. It’s hard not to be ordinary without resorting to whining, complaining, gossip, and vulgar humor - or, God forbid, something original. All of these things are fun, on occasion, but one tires of that stuff rather quickly - unless it is original of course. And that incessant commentary on Don Imus and the whole controversy surrounding his bastard comments - it’s like beating a dead dog. It seems to me everyone writes about the same stuff, and if I see another link to Open Book I am going to throw up. (Link to the sources she does, because that’s pretty much all she does anyway.)
Blogs can be pretty boring.
To be sure, I like reading a lay person’s take on prayer or spirituality or something - how they pray - especially when they do pray. But I have to say I’m not very interested in nun’s blogs however. (Nothing wrong with nuns mind you!) I just don’t identify with nuns though - I’m interested in what lay people have to say.
I don’t mind some priest’s homilies, but my interest in homilies outside of Mass is…well, not so much. A priest is best when he blogs his thoughts or writes about what he knows. Everyone who knows me knows my interest is definitely in a contemplative monk’s thoughts, or a good parish priest’s thoughts - but not so much in the standard fare of a prepared homily for a diverse Sunday congregation - unless the priest happens to ’nail’ something topical - sort of like Fr. Altier used to do. (Although people outside of the Twin Cities wouldn’t know about that.) I’m afraid homilies tend to be pretty boring too - they are too formulated for me - no passion.
I like author’s blogs a lot. They are usually very informative and insightful. In addition, it is pretty cool to read an author’s thoughts on subjects they know well, and just because they are writers, to read what they think about.
Nevertheless, I’m pretty bored with most blogs. I mean, what are they talking about? Oftentimes the experience is akin to reading someone’s email to a family member or friend. Or it’s like listening to someone’s conversation at donuts and coffee in a church basement. (I never go to those things, so I am only imagining.) Then again it can be like listening to an enthusiastic youth at World Youth Day. I don’t know about you, but it’s kinda boring.
Having said this, I imagine I’ll have to eat my words one day.
