Two Sides of the Same Fence

This blogging life has changed me. I think my first few posts were kind of like a first date, "Let me tell you a little about myself...." Now our relationship has matured and its like a telephone conversation, albeit one sided. I find myself taking note during the day of potential blogging subjects. Maybe in a way creating potential blogging subjects. What I have noticed is that I feel more connected to my friends, because there is daily feedback. On the average day I do A LOT of listening. I hear all about people's family history and I am amazed at how quickly these people, to whom I have listened attentively to every little nuance, glaze over the moment my mouth opens. It is an occupational hazard, I understand that many people are only interested in their family, but sometimes I am simply opening my mouth to agree, that what they have just told me is the most amazing story of all time.

However, with blogging I get to spill my guts and some of you are actually listening. It may seem like a small thing, but for me it is a big deal. I also look forward to checking my friend's blogs every day. Jerry chastised me one day for spending too much precious time typing away at the computer. I sat him down and told him a story, which I will share with you now. When I was a kid I used to lay awake talking about anything and everything. My sisters would yell out, "Mom, Kathy won't stop talking and let us go to sleep." To alleviate the "problem" I was given my own room in the basement. With no one to talk to I would lay awake nights trying to solve the world hunger issue, for one. I have never been a good sleeper and I have spent thousands of nights tossing and turning trying to figure out why this person said this or why that politician did that. Problems I could not possibly solve gnawed away at me. I am one of those people who needs to know why. Jerry lays his head on the pillow and he is snoring. I go to bed and toss around the days events. I wonder why the driver in front of me on the way home refused to drive the speed limit, going 25 in a 35. I wonder why it was unseasonably cold and windy today.

Instead of tossing and turning I will roll out of bed, grab my laptop and head for the living room so I can see if there are any weather explanations and then I will look for websites on traffic psychology. What is happening now though is I am writing nearly every day and I am putting the contents of my brain on paper, so to speak and then I roll over and sleep peacefully. It is an amazing phenomena for me after 35 years of sleepless nights. I am looking at the world through different eyes. I am looking for photographic opportunities. I am trying to leave thoughtful and inciteful comments on my friend's blogs. Not even for the person necessarily, but for me. Drew's blog about being an instrument of Christ really got me thinking. Lainie's blog about singing with her kids made me stop and rethink how I spend family time. Annie B has inspired all of us to be better parents and photographers. Annie J. inspires me to be more relaxed about life.

All in all I have gotten to know everybody in a deeper way through blogging, but most of all I have come to know myself better.