Sunday Scribbling - "Phenomenon"

I'm pretty sure the biggest phenomenon that has changed my life is blogging. Before I caught on to this "latest thing" I was a housebound, disabled, water aerobic, soap watcher. Most of my friends from my childhood lived far away and my "country" friends had jobs. I had inadvertently isolated myself from the world while seeking out a slower way of life. I also did not think I had a creative bone in my body, so computer technology was zipping right past me.

If you had told me that I would be writing poetry and letting complete strangers read it, I'd swear you had been smoking something. I learned to express the words that filled my heart and see a new world through the lens of a camera. Oh, I can't forget the part that I can say what ever I want and show off my grandson. :) My world grew into a much happier place, full of strangers I now think of as friends, creativity and filled with the power of words. Because of blogging I will brave cross country travel and meet my female cape crusader, batman ( Pam, a fellow ALS warrior). Not to mention two bloggers I have found close to my new home.

I have seen bloggers share pain, art, death and illness. They are embraced, encouraged and cared about. I've seen writers get published, artists open up shops and children shared and celebrated. I see blogs that now sway politics and because of their many voices, I have seen and learned much more than my local news could ever alert me to. I'm not speaking of MySpace when I refer to blogging, although I'm sure there are great MySpace pages. I'm talking about real people who publicly share their real lives in hopes of making a difference or leaving a legacy.

I got an email from a lady who said she knew me as a baby and was my mom and dad's old neighbors. They said they found me on my blog, but I could not figure out how, since that was two last names ago. It was actually very easy to find me and it turns out he used to work with my husband Dave (small world!). They knew each other until he retired a few years ago. From my blog they learned mom was gone now, where my dad is and that baby they knew is now 46. They found me by googling my mother's name and got my post on mother's day from 2005. Makes you wonder who reads our blogs that we don't even know and never will. Big brother? Nah, TK and my poetry is not that interesting. lol

It's not such a small world after all if we can reach out across the world and connect in unimaginable ways. Blogging can be a wonderful tool if the government, fanatics and the loonies stay out of our way. Blogging makes the world a smaller place and contributes to sharing, learning and tolerance.

My blogging finger has good blogging manners, but at 46 I do have trouble remembering who has left a nice comment, so pardon me if I ever miss your kindness. I really do care about the people who have encouraged me and touched my life. Thank you!

The photo is from Screenshot-Michael Bretherton