Regular readers know that I generally post something--usually several somethings--here every day.
For the past few days, however, the output has been off.
Partly [Hube taught me this a couple weeks ago] I have not been pushing it because I have not felt particularly ... inspired.
I'm tired of writing about health insurance reform, or the US misadventures in Afghanistan, or even Delaware politics, because there is actually very little chance that I will say something original enough here to actually ... matter.
So I am lightly blogging for a few days--maybe a week--while I do a little necessary rethinking of the whole process. I have been at this for nearly two years and nearly 3,000 posts, and while I've met a lot of interesting people and exchanged some neat ideas (and insults) I do spend time wondering if this is all anything more than mental masturbation.
I think it needs to be more than that, and I think it needs to be more original than it has recently become.
Just letting you know what's going on.
For the past few days, however, the output has been off.
Partly [Hube taught me this a couple weeks ago] I have not been pushing it because I have not felt particularly ... inspired.
I'm tired of writing about health insurance reform, or the US misadventures in Afghanistan, or even Delaware politics, because there is actually very little chance that I will say something original enough here to actually ... matter.
So I am lightly blogging for a few days--maybe a week--while I do a little necessary rethinking of the whole process. I have been at this for nearly two years and nearly 3,000 posts, and while I've met a lot of interesting people and exchanged some neat ideas (and insults) I do spend time wondering if this is all anything more than mental masturbation.
I think it needs to be more than that, and I think it needs to be more original than it has recently become.
Just letting you know what's going on.
Comments
I Hope it passes soon, it generally does.
Forget the inspiration and go with passion.
Only those who take themselves way too seriously (and view their own blogging similarly) can day-to-day constantly crank out post after shallow, tedious, intellectually and ideologically regurgitative post, without realizing how watered down, repetitive, and tiresome they have become, even at casual glance. (Smart readers know exactly who I am looking towards when I say that).
There is nothing wrong with taking some time off, but I think overall you add to the public discourse and hope that it is not too long.
When I have nothing to say, I tend not to say it. That is when you get the one paragraph posts that link to an interesting article.
I think that your intellectual depth is limited by writing in a blog called "Delaware Libertarian."
Frankly, I hope that clinging to the silly ideology of Libertarianism is something that you'll eventually out-grow.
How about a fresh new blog that isn't tied to a either a tiny state or an ineffectual, unworkable, crackpot political party?
You could leave this one to the Tyler so he can continue to "constantly crank out post after shallow, tedious, intellectually and ideologically regurgitative post." :)
Wishing you (and Tyler) the best,
anonone
As for anyone wishing us (Steve and me) 'well' as they call for the blogosphere undertaker, I wouldn't count on Steve's or my departure or any gradual or sudden embargo on posting.
We go through lulls, ideally in opposite tandem, and both have a lot of real life commitments and demands that don't give way, nor would we have them do so, especially not for this.
I must say Steve's levels of responsibility, commitment, diligence, and managing to balance it all as a husband, father, teacher, writer, activist... while making it appear effortless leave me breathtaken. I am continually amazed at how prolific and deep he is as a blogger, beyond all this.
That's not the kind of thing that just goes away, by design or happenstance.
I just try to keep up with Steve by a fraction. I can't see him altering his desire nor curbing his talent in this for any consistent length of time. I am comforted to know that, as a libertarian and someone who cares about the larger stuff as deeply as Steve, irrespective of whether we see any impact from our efforts here.
Replace "Hokey" with "Bloggy" and you have the answer. As for me, I lost power to the record (oops, CD...er MP3) player right after "you put your egooo-out...", so I remain blissfully on the outside...for now. Plus, my children are far more important.
BTW, did David (from DP) actually use the word 'masturbation'? I am in shock! 8-O
So mental masturbation is not necessarily a bad thing.
There's a strange addictive quality to blogging. No one of us will change the world and most of us will be lost in the roar and rankings of Brittany,
American Idol and Dancing with the stars(cream doesn't always rise to the top).
I would argue that blogging can be a humbling rather than an egotistical exercise. When you pour your heart, soul, time and energy into something and then see just how little your opinion means in the scheme of things and continue to do it, it certainly can't be ego.
Masochism or insanity maybe? Good self therapy?
After all blogging forces me to examine what it is I think and believe. It forces me to validate my
thinking. IT forces me to change my own mind about things. IT is as much about my own personal growth as anything else.
Then I burn out and say fuck it. Lay off for awhile and some son of a bitch I don't even know walks up and says, Hey man I miss your posts.
It is then that either "ego" or "guilt" kicks in and bang, you drag yourself to the keyboard.
or not.