We've all got something to say...

I have been fighting the urge to enter the world of blogging for sometime and have finally succumb to the temptations to let the whole world (or at least the 2 people who give rip) know what I have to say.

To be honest I have resisted this blogging movement, partly because by natural process I am getting older and less technologically relevant and partly because I have always looked at blogging as our virtual fifty foot neon sign flashing, “HEY LOOK AT ME, I’M IMPORTANT!!!” I already struggle a bit with humility; balancing the fine line of leading by example and drawing attention to my every action and deed. However, as I have began to read the blogs of the people I thought I knew, I have found that there is so much I tend to miss. Am I not listening to true life of those who surround me, or are they not talking? I have a feeling it is a little bit of both.

At the risk of sounding much older than I am, there was a time, even in my generation, when the world seemed a lot smaller and more intimate. A time when our circle of influence may have consisted of a total of 40 to 50 people of whom only a few we honestly shared life with. Maybe this was just my experience in the booming metropolis of Azle, TX. Actually, I can’t even claim that. I lived in Briar. My world consisted of the neighbor across the field and pet cow named Buttercup, who ultimately ended up as a steak.

Anyways, my point is that now I may come into physical contact with 40 to 50 people a day. Outside of that I have 150 or so “friends” on Facebook ranging from family to people I knew high school, to people I knew in college, to people I work with, to people I don’t really know, but I thought it would be rude to reject their invite. And each of them have 100 to 500 “friends” their connected to. I find myself now with an infinite number of “friends” and yet somehow have very few friendships.

The problem is that I have built most of these friendships upon the occasional polite smile and nod (since nodding is more manly than waving), and the ever so popular status post, telling everyone in two sentences or less what just happened in the last five minutes and which Office cast member I am most like. (By the way, I am Jim, but aren’t we all?) All this time I have a new, true, friend who just experienced an unspeakable tragedy in his life and because I have become so inept at communication, all I have to offer is, “How are things going?” Luckily, he was honest enough to say, “Horrible.”

With all that said, I know that I can't replace human contact with the posting of my deep thoughts on the internet, but I have gotten to know a few people much better lately by just taking some time to read theirs. With any luck this blog will help stir up some conversation in real life situations and since we all seem to be a little more open and a little deeper when we put things down in written word, I hope we can begin to really share life with each other.