Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I have not written on the computer as a journal. I write in a spiral notebook and once in a while I transcribe what I write in a paper format into the computer. I don’t much care for the actual task of that process. Because I don’t like to type that much, and particularly, I don’t like to type something I am also reading and usually editing as I go. I am reluctant to change my habits. Of course. I am thinking about the Blogosphere and my Blog and why I might want to have my words in that format. I haven’t come up with a very good answer yet. I continually vacillate between thinking it is a good idea and thinking it is stupid. As it is now, my writing is shelved and completely anonymous. In a blog it is almost completely anonymous. A blog is kind of like dumping my thoughts into a vast and endless landfill. Where as my journals at home are like keeping all my trash stored up. In the landfill, there may be pickers, people who, for whatever reasons, are hanging out in the landfill looking for something. And it is possible that a picker may pick up a fragment of my thoughts and give them a glance. The question is, so what? There is another notion. The notion of a cyber collective consciousness. And in this notion I can imagine my thoughts and the landfill as a vast collective consciousness soup. Something made up of all that is dumped in, some lumps, some spices, some stock, and some lard. I can imagine my thoughts as thickening, or thinner, or color, or whatever. Not as distinguishable in and of themselves, but as a mix. Then the question becomes, what is the value of that? Who knows? I have to decide if there is any value or not, or, if it is worth the effort with out a knowable answer yet. So I am undecided. And this is fitting.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

"The foul rag & bone shop of the heart" as Yeats said.... You've presented interesting ideas in this space, & I for one would be glad to see you continue. I do know that it's hard to switch writing media-- from pen & paper to keyboard; I don't write as easily on pen & paper anymore. It's also been my experience that all creative people come up against the "what's the point of this argument" at some point, & to my mind the answer is "because it's a central part of who I am." Also, tho it may sound like a platitude, I try to live & create by the principle that "this is to serious to be taken seriously."

René Wing said...

As I mentioned in another comment, I came by via John's site. I understand too about the notebook vs. computer thing in your other post. I do the same thing-- write in a journal and transcribe. for me, though it's a pleasure. I like the pencil and paper I've used for so many years. I think of the blog as a way to see those little creations in another light and the whole process has been very interesting... and raises lots of questions just like yours. thanks~

And that quote John wrote from Yeats is one of my favorites! A little more of it, which I have here on my wall, is "...Now that my ladder's gone/I must lie down where all the ladder's start/In the foul rag and bone shop of the heart."

Linda Pendleton said...

Randy, I agree with John that you have presented some good inspirational thoughts here and I always check it out almost daily to see if you have added new ones. So keep it up...as I look forward to seeing what you have to say.