Blog talk
Last night I went to a meeting of the Boston bloggers.
It’s really the New England bloggers, since not all of us live in Boston (I don’t, for example). We’ve gotten together a couple of times before and it’s always been fun. Because, you know what? We bloggers are fun people. Strange perhaps, but fun.
I’ve written before on the topic of meeting bloggers. The New England group shares the general blogger characteristic of being a bunch of talkers. Two things in particular seem to be the most salient characteristics of bloggers: ideaphoria, and an especially energetic way of expressing themselves.
Some, no doubt, would call us a bunch of blowhards. But I say no; we are intense and thoughtful, as well as articulate.
For many of us, I suspect, we’ve been this way our entire lives, and never found a really good outlet for the type of thinking we do and the personalities we seem to have. For many of us, I suspect as well that the minute we discovered blogs we realized that it was a good match. And so that’s why, when bloggers get together, there’s often a certain “here I am, with my peeps at last” feeling wafting through the air; a real zest and zing.
I’ve been a writer of sorts for many years, and I’ve participated in writing groups for about fifteen of those years. I remember a similar feeling when I first joined one: here were people who, if not of exactly like mind, were somehow of a slant of mind that was akin to mine.
This doesn’t always happen in life; for instance, I only sometimes feel it among fellow therapists. But when the feeling does come, it often means you’re in the right place, doing what you were meant to do, with people who understand and share that feeling.
Is blogging a calling? That’s way too pretentious a way to look at it. But sometimes I feel that, for most bloggers, we didn’t choose blogging so much as blogging chose us. And, for most of us, it’s a labor of love, requiring us to do work without a great deal of remuneration–except, of course, for the wonderful rewards of saying one’s piece and even being heard and responded to in thoughtful and meaningful ways.
My guess is that many of the commenters here may share some of the same traits as bloggers: lots of ideas and the need to express them. And now, with blogs, we don’t have to bore our friends and relatives silly–we can entertain each other.
[Whoops–forgot the links. Present and accounted for were: Sissy Willis of sisu, Richard Landes of Second Draft, Sol of Solomnia, Teresa of Technicalities, Harry of Squaring the Globe, Marybeth of Miss Kelly, New England Republican of blog of same name, and special guest Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe. Regretfully absent but ordinarily a regular: Daniel in Brookline.]
Is blogging a calling? Could be. I once wondered if St. Paul would be a blogger.
But when the feeling does come, it often means you’re in the right place, doing what you were meant to do, with people who understand and share that feeling.
Yes, indeed.
Yield who will to their separation
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only when love and need are one
And the work is play for mortal stakes
Is the deed ever really done
For heaven and the future’s sakes.
Your tactile friends are, to some degree, thrust upon you by fate. Bloggers are my cyber-friends, and I choose which cyber-friends to hang out with.
Some things I really like about cyber-friends:
–they are conveniently available.
–they are never inconvenient.
–if I am not interested in the conversation, I can quickly move on, w/o worrying about hurting anyone’s feelings.
Darling. What a wonderful post.
Mark Twain would have been a blogger.
for some blogging is a calling, no question, for some a hobby. how about using the term vocation. it’s the term Max Weber used about the Protestant ethic and the sense of personal mission that they individually felt.
at least this one has the interactive merit of a calling to enter into conversation with others. some of those early modern protestant callings cd be quite isolated.
Some of us are just plain nuts, with lots of conflicts just below the surface. Blogging is a twitch.
I don’t know if it’s a calling or not for me – Harvey had to convince me to blog instead of merely commenting. I still consider myself to be a better commenter than blogger.
And yes I’m quite sure I’ve been described as a blowhard. *grin* I’ve got an opinion and I will express it.
It was wonderful meeting you yesterday.
Harry, Is there supposed to be a link to your post (about St. Paul)?
Neo, very sweet and thoughtful!
“My guess is that many of the commenters here may share some of the same traits as bloggers: lots of ideas and the need to express them.”
My guess is that many of the commenters here are bloggers. I know I’m a blogger, albeit not a particularly prodigious or prolific one…but I tend to suspect you are correct; “lots of ideas and the need to express them”…
…and some of us are Boston-based bloggers who are kicking themselves over having had previous commitments on Thursday. Next time at my place, folks!
respectfully,
I think blogging is only a calling for some. You need to have the talent towrite!
it is a calling for you neo
Given enough banning, a definite pattern will emerge on IP ranges of the trolls and they’ll be gone for good. Enough attempts to get around the blocking and a case can be made to a ISP.
Alert button has been pressed and conned’s time here is counting down.
You ought to invite Bebere; I think she propinks.
There are some out there like myself that just blog for fun since I do not have the gift of being able to articulate myself in writing.
But you Neo are always a joy to read and I find myself thinking of subjects in a way I had not before.
Keep up the great work.
I understand what you mean about that feeling of being with a group that “gets it”. In Minnesota there is a huge group of us that call ourselves the MOB (MN Organization of Bloggers) and we always have a blast when we get together.
Let’s not forget that blogs can change the world. Powerline & LGF did it with Rathergate and the freedom blogs are popping up like weeds in Iran, Ukraine, Cuba….yes, democracy and freedom are a contagious bug!