Tonight finds me sort of in the midst of some crazy stuff. This month, I changed jobs. More on that later. Also, we just found out today that next month, we'll have a home that neither set of parents live in. A real home. More to come on that front too. Teasers!!!
I love my wife, and God knows my wife loves getting her sleep. I'm a big fan of going to sleep around the same time as her, but sometimes I just lie there knowing that I've still got more in the tank for the day; I can't sleep well when I've left things undone. It's like wondering if you turned off the lights at home when you're on a flight to Hawaii.
So, I sit down, wondering what thing I needed so desperately to share about myself before turning in for the night, when I found myself on Donald Miller's blog again. His latest post is entitled "Reflections on Endless Self-Promotion," and it definitely seems fitting for this night's work. In this particular post, Miller starts a list of his confessions, justifications, and observations as he reflects on writing about oneself. I'd encourage you to check out the post, if you haven't already clicked on the above link. Reading the post caused me to wonder the same thing about my own endeavors. What is it, exactly, I'm even after when I write about myself?
Confession: I write sometimes not because I enjoy it, but out of a need to be recognized for some raw talent, to have my abilities vindicated by someone else, maybe even someone who doesn't know me at all but for my rare gift with words on this mysterious blog they stumbled across one day.
Justification: With my attention-deficit disorder, it's often hard to think clearly with the jumble of random thoughts floating in your head. Writing helps me organize my thoughts, be it when I'm planning, praying, or just thinking about the day.
Justification: As a perfectionist, I am somewhat terrified of releasing something of my own creation into the world without thorough analysis and editing. This experiment, while not overtly publicized by me, has certainly helped me start chipping away at this barricade that has held me captive for the vast majority of my life.
Observation: Looking at friends' and non-friends' blogs, comparing them to my own, I can see that as we study ourselves, our passions become clearer - both to ourselves and to others. At least, that's what I've seen when looking at other blogs; it's harder to see that in my own work at this point. For this reason alone, self-reflection is a worthwhile venture.
1 comment:
Writing about oneself helps others know what you are up to, and what you are like. I think that people, including you, are interesting. And therefore, you SHOULD write:) What goes on in our heads is interesting stuff. It's almost as though there is room for more thought if we allow the original thoughts to come out through our pen, fingers, or with our mouths.
I was reading my old blog a few months ago, and I was so much more creative of a writer because I wrote so much more often. I was even FUNNY back then.
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