Eish

Hello everyone, thanks for checking in.

Also, thanks to everyone for all the nice compliments about the blog. I really think those compliments may be the one reason I am driven to continue posting.

Blogging is still kind of a strange act for me, for three related reasons.

1. I think that it is understood that if I (or anyone else) have a blog, I actually think that other people want to know about what is going on in my life on a regular basis -- not just little updates and single sentences I put on Facebook, but the pages and pages of text and images outlining my adventures in Africa that I put up here. Originally, I thought it was kind of a conceited standpoint, but then I again thought about Facebook, Twitter, and all that jazz. People actually DO spend their time not only updating their own status and profile on a regular basis, but also spend vast amounts of time reading about or looking at pictures of everyone else. That being said, what makes me think that not just my status, but my entire adventures are worth interpreting? What makes me think that my life is of such great significance to others that they will actually read all these words out of sheer interest in what I have to say?

I know that because I have been so out of touch with everyone at home, this is really someone's only way to understand what I am up to. Either way, storyteller is a very interesting position to be in. :)

2. Blogging is only an interpretation of my experience. Just like that one photograph you take at an amazing event or location to try to "sum it all up," the blog can only represent a fraction of the true unique experience. When you snap that photograph I am referring to, how many times can you remember showing it to someone later (or maybe even yourself) and saying that "It doesn't do it justice, “it” was so much more than that?" That is how I feel about the blog.


3. Where do I begin to tell someone about the things that have happened to me since the last post? The wisdom I have gained and the things I have experienced cannot be put into words! Having/supplying/providing/smothering someone with too much information has been a problem that I have always battled with, so deciding what story to tell and then straining out everything but the juicy details (while still adding a personal reflection) can be quite the daunting task. I tried the frequent post thing, but you notice how well I have been sticking to that regiment.


Okay I have decided to make this just another separate rant post. I am sure someone comes out of reading this post thinking, “okay, so why the hell is he doing it then?” I really do enjoy it, just airing some thoughts on the matter. I would have completely omitted this section if I did not put so much time into it!