Friday, October 03, 2008

Thank you...

I need to tell you all how much the blogging world I am a part of has helped to keep me sane over the past 15 weeks. I also need to thank each and everyone of you - whether you blog, or just read, whether you comment or just visit - for doing so. I see how many of you visit each day - I know where most of you come from and I have had miserable spirits lifted so many times just to know that someone out there is reading what I say, and hearing me waffle on.

You make me smile - you make me laugh out loud here, and you also channel my thoughts away from "me", and the 4 walls around me. You help to shift my focus, and remember that it is deeply dangerous to become obsessed with one's self, and forget all the millions of things I have to be thankful for. And there are millions.

I have been thinking about just what I would have done without this blog in recent days/weeks/months. I may well have been in a padded cell by now. But, even though I have been stuck here, I have been transported all over the world into your lives, and my mental world has expanded as far as my fingers will take it. All I have to do, is click the mouse and I enter yet another world. So very many out there. There is no reason to bemoan the fact that I don't have any books to read when I have a world at my fingertips. Millions of worlds. Of words.

I can enter springtime in the southern hemisphere, or autumn up here in the north. If I want to go to Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria or Switzerland, I can. I can go anywhere I like. If I want to see some new ideas for sewing or crafts or quilting - hah! All I have to do is press enter. If I want to go and wander round a ranch - hey I can do that too! Climb a mountain? Yes. Easy.

I can plan new baking days from the biggest variety of step by step recipes imaginable. I can learn new scrapbooking techniques. I can be challenged mentally or I can read the best humour around - and it is all real. Because real people write the words. People I can get to know simply by reading more of the words they write.

Blogging is a wonderful thing.

The fact that it is global is what makes it so special. I have many wonderful friends in real life, and like all of us, they have lives to lead, and their time is precious. But here on the computer, what could be long empty hours are instead filled by people in other time zones, waking up as I am going to bed. So there is always someone posting new things, and I never feel alone.

I am sitting here wondering why our parents and grandparents don't do this more. I know of so many older people who get very lonely, and this could be a way for them to communicate, and share their life stories and make new friends. Something positive to fill their days, which could be very empty.

It is one thing to get our parents to write their memories down for us, but how much more wonderful it would be for them to write and have people comment as they do just that. There is such joy in knowing that someone finds what we have to say interesting - though heaven knows you will have been challenged on the interesting part here in recent times! There is only so much interest one can generate within the same 4 walls. And delving into my mind is not always suitable for this family friendly site. I am not always a ray of sunshine. Sigh.

I have mentioned before, that history is a subject which is being ejected from our school curriculum here. And I have just had a friend pop round, who took a drama group of young people to see a play last night. The opening scene of the play had an old newsreel playing on a giant screen, and a young soldier ran across the field and was blown apart by gunfire. The audience, 90% youngsters, roared with laughter. Leaving the older people staring around at each other, absolutely aghast. Those kids had no idea at all. They have been totally de-sensitised by computer games, and to them, it was funny. They had just actually watched footage of a war time soldier die, and they were amused.

So I have been thinking about how we need our older generation to tell the story the way it actually was. Thoughts, fears, pain, sorrows, joys and all. Someone has to keep the history of our world alive. Or soon it will be gone - relegated to the dusty old tomes in long forgotten basements around the globe. If schools today are focussing on IT and consigning the history of our nations to the scrapheap, let's use IT to remember instead.

How about suggesting to the older people you know that they tell their stories? That they start blogs of their own? What do you think? Mum??? Are you listening? You can be the charter member of the "Let us Remember" club! I feel the need to invade old people's homes and make suggestions.

Anyway.

I just wanted to say a huge "thank you". I have not always been fine and dandy. Or pleasant to be around. And you have been wonderful friends. Perceptive and wise. I hope you will continue to brighten my life the way you do.

You are stars!

PS: If you want to laugh, go to youtube, and put in Chonda Pierce. Her menopause parking and the honeymoon clips are beyond hysterical, and if you want to cry, watch Hold on Tighter.

14 comments:

Needled Mom said...

There are times when I think of all the things that I SHOULD be doing instead of computer-ing. Your posts puts it so perfectly as to why we spend so much time here. I, too, have met some wonderful friends and so enjoy being involved in what is going on in their lives. I do not know how we ever lived without these machines.

That is a sad commentary on society to read the children's reaction to a soldier's death. Does nothing touch these children anymore?

It would be wonderful to read some of these older folk's blogs. I have been working on my mother to do it even though she leads a busy life. I just think it would be interesting.

THANK YOU for being one of my blogging friends.

someone else said...

Memories from our parents are so precious. We video-taped my husband's parents several years ago. We asked questions, and they answered them with stories. It made it so much easier for them to remember and reminisce. We had planned to do that with my dad, but he died before we could do it. I've been so sad about that because he had wonderful Army stories, and it felt so stilted for him to just record into a microphone. He would have responded great to the interview format.

I wish my own grandchildren were more interested in our past. They don't realize how much we want to share our memories with them.

Great post, Linds.

Olson Family said...

I also hoped my grandmother would actually Blog. She started but never got beyond the first post. She's a wonderful writer - very detail oriented though. And I think the fact she had just re-married at 80 yrs old was a distraction! You think! Maybe I will have to write her stories for her.
Thought of you today when I realized I'd forgotten to eat lunch - your post re: no dinner. I cut up some mango that was almost too ripe and ate with the knife - because no one was around to really care! These are things I don't let my kids see me do :).

Edith said...

I also would love to have my mom and dad keep a blog. Thankfully my mom has published one book and is working on another one. I still have better than 90% of the letters they wrote me while I was away in boarding school - intend one day to organize those in some semblance of order.

Am glad the blogging world has helped you handle this time of inactivity. Have a great day.

Butterfly Mama said...

Yes, my Dad always tells us that he bugged my Grandpa (his Dad) to record stories but he always refused because they weren't interesting enough. As a boy who said "Goodmorning Mr. Edison" to Thomas Edison every morning from his school yard as Edison walked past and knew all sorts of history of NYC. Ah, yeah I wish we had more of his stories but now I'm bugging my Dad to do the same thing and he doesn't seem to have the time either. Ugh!!!

You make my day too!

Hugs,
Heidi

Anonymous said...

Dear Linds.
I ecco all your words about the greatness of blogging.
How is your knee doing? Will you be able to go back to school soon?

Mary said...

I think you know (probably too well) where I would be without the distraction, interaction and often inspirational blog land :)

It must be said that not all bloggers are sensitive or courteous or even honest.

Having said that, I will say that the same can be said about some neighbors or colleagues or even family. So, keeping things in perspective - blogging is a wonderful avenue for forming friendships, seeking solace or making memories.

And you my dear are absolutely one
genuine, kind, inspirational and thought provoking blogger.

As for the students who laughed at the soldier on screen. I wonder how their teacher handled it? Did it become an opportunity to communicate about such things as empathy or sensitivity or even how to deal with confronting images. I think there is a danger in mixing 'real' footage or 'depictions of war' or 'horror' with entertainment. How are the young people supposed to decipher whch is which? I have experienced students laughing innapropriately at images or stories. I have gone on to discover that most of them just did not know the apppropriate way to respond - it was not real to them. And yet I saw children cry and show genuine concern over 9/11 or the Bali bombings.

Well, I have rambled on a little here! It is early in the morning -such a poor excuse, I know!

I had better sign off now and get on with my own post re- Sydney Saga ( I mean journey).

Cheers.

Chris said...

Wonderful post, m'dear. I've given up on the folks posting for obvious reasons, but certainly hope to leave my blog as a legacy to my children.

And what a thought THAT is!

Hard to believe that one day we will be gone, but the blog may live on. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Add to that the friendship we have, though thousands of miles apart, and it boggles the mind. This never could have been accomplished with the "pen pals" we used to have in younger years. It's history - truly.

And I'm glad you're included in mine.

Unknown said...

First of all thanks for leaving a comment on my blog, I hope you visit again.
I read through several of your posts and hope your knee is feeling better soon. You have many insightful messages and I do agree with you, blogging has opened the world to so many new and lovely ladies that I now call friend even without meeting them in person. Each one has so much to offer. Many blessing to you..

Janine said...

Hi Linds,
I'm glad to have "met" you and shared blogs with you. My world is a little bigger and a little warmer, thanks to you.
:)

Crystal said...

Your words are always so true and so real. Seriously, I think you have a future as a book author. Maybe your first chapter could be something like "How the Medical System Failed Me!"- or not!

It's been a sheer delight to read your words, get to know your thoughts and develop a friendship with you. You truly are a marvelous friend. Good luck with the memory project!

Vee said...

First of all, you're very welcome, my dear friend. It is a joy to spend time here with you day after day. I love the thoughts you express and I found this post particularly compelling.

Hope that many folks might begin the journey that blogging is. I'm always suggesting it to any who seem the least interested.

heidi @ ggip said...

What a powerful post. I can't imagine kids laughing at real video such as that. I hope they were corrected.

That is a great idea for older people to share their stories. Maybe a younger person could share it also if the person was unwilling to learn to use the computer or somehting.

grammy said...

Hi, I just met you. Saw you over at Patties, Attitude changes everything. I just decided to make more comtacts from other countries...how fun... Antway, I was just telling my friend (we are 55) that her mom that is 80ish and recently widiowed and LONELY and bored, she should learn to blog. Well we talked about how scary it is for them (I just learned ho myseld and am still not that good) anyway someone should start a community group for them to help them do it. I love Chonda and had not thought of Utube. Come visit me.