Blog Maintenance and Reflection
Another ex-blogger has had a relapse and has returned to the blogosphere this time as a member of Stblogs.org. So a hearty welcome back to Tom of GoodForm. Tom had originally started blogging about the same time I did and he kept my then newbie spirits up with his comments.
Tom like myself and many others are still waiting for an opening at the Betty Ford center for Blogging Addiction.
I almost gave up blogging soon after starting due due to blogspot fighting me tooth and nail and the fact that every waking moment was driven towards thinking of some intelligent commentary to write. Well I got through the blogger blockage and stopped worrying about writing intelligent commentary (as if you didn't know) to change the world like Peter and Valentine Wiggin from Ender's Game. Many bloggers within St. Blogs have struggled with the time involved in maintaining a blog and then balancing that with time devoted to family and other apostolates. I don't blame anyone who has decided to stop blogging, though I do wish they would place a farewell post. It is quite annoying to go to a site that all of a sudden is no longer there or is no longer updated without a note of explanation. Sometimes blog's closing down are like losing good friends.
I almost stopped blogging again just before my Mother died earlier last year. One of the things that has kept me blogging is that I have found that writing about the Catholic faith makes me spend more time learning it to avoid just being reactionary to news and condemning others willy-nilly. Not all posts that I start to write end up seeing the light of day. Just as when I post comments at other sites, probably only half of those end up with me pressing the post button. My family also thanks my readership since I can direct my sense of humor on them instead. Prophets aren't appreciated in their home, and neither are wannabe comedians and political pundits.
Being part of the St. Blogs community is also pretty interesting. I often wondered what would happen if we were all actually in the same parish. Would we then be arguing over which Gregorian chant should be sung. Though I would love to be in a church that had the variety of priests and the talented musicians that St. Blog's does. I have learned much from the writers and commenters of St. Blogs. St. Blogs is like a microcosm of the universal church. People from various countries, different charisms, and focus on spirituality, Eastern, Western; yet all holding to the Catholic faith. It constantly reminds me how large the church is with plenty of room for all of us.
Here are some additions to my blogroll.
Elena of My My Domestic Church
Bec of pencil in your hand
Douglas of Belief Seeking Understanding
Some other interesting blogs are:
Hugh Hewitt has become my favorite talk show host. I listen to Rush and Sean Hannity but I enjoy Hugh the most. Sean just annoys me whenever he ventures an ill-informed opinion on his Catholic Faith. Hugh is an Evangelical with an impressive conservative record who has excellent guests and had done whole shows on the works of Dickens and the great minds in the Western tradition. He maintains a blog and takes the blogospere seriously. He often has bloggers on his show and frequently has James Lileks and Mark Steyn on.
Known as 
I am glad that you have kept up blogging. I am fighting off a malaise that has kept me from writing insightful and meaningful stuff, and I am glad that this disease doesn't hit every one at the same time!
Good work, Jeff. I've also realized early on that whatever I say in my blog may or may not interest any one else. We always hope that a particular article/event may strike a chord with another, as it did with us. In that sense, it's like an apostolate. But even with no company at all, at least you've got a record of those things you've found interesting - and a means for backtracking in search of links you've seen, and may one day want to find again. I agree heartily with your point about having the like-minded read each others' blogs. I choose blogs to read the same way I choose friends. We may not agree on everything, but sometimes it's nice to bounce ideas off of others to get some feedback. And the feedback process does help to moderate the spew that would otherwise rattle off our keyboards. Good insight. Thanks.
The parishioners of St. Blogs help keep me grounded...they also give me a profound sense of hope knowing that not everyone out there is a selfish materialistic sex-sucking pagan eating maggot pies. Which is nice to know.
Nice post Jeff, and thanks for the warm welcome back. I'm glad my comments helped to keep you going.
And thanks for you MT help. I'm sure I'll be back for more. :)
Well said Jeff. I began a presence on the web several years ago with a personal website which evolved into a support tool for my CCD classes. I no longer teach CCD but found that I still yearned for Catholic fellowship with a "reach". Blogging seemed to be a great tool for speaking, listening, learning etc. I haven't quite figured out my own blog nature yet but I've resisted the temptation to just quit because I enjoy reading the St. Blogs posts and being able to at least leave a comment of encouragement where I feel it would help. The Curt Jester is a stop I enjoy in the neighborhood. Happy New Year!
"...selfish materialistic sex-sucking pagan eating maggot pies." How did you know, Smockmomma?
I didn't tell anyone.
Am dreading the day the ol' family plans an intervention.
I do a lot of blogging in the wee hours of the morning, so they don't realize the time I spend at the computer. But they do actually read the blog.....they don't mind the charming true anecdotes.....too much. But posting a picture of everyone looking clean, dressed-up and so nice pushed a few buttons.
"...selfish materialistic sex-sucking pagan eating maggot pies."
Has someone been listening in on to my confessions again? I knew that priest was wired!
Oh, Ellyn!
I wish I could see your blog so I could see your family pix!
But they alrady did MY intervention and blocked all "blogspot" sites.
Jeff--I told my husband I'd quit my blog immediately--so I sent my goodbye to Video Meliora to post. I didn't want my husband to think I was still blogging (BTW, it's not the occasional comment he minds--it's the consuming passion for writing for hours and airing my inmost thoughts to total strangers instead of my family that he wanted to curb.
And who can blame him? Things are better now for me and my whole family.
But that's why Gospel Minefield suddenly went silent without an explanatory post.
Every once in awhile I'll post a line or two--special occasions ("Blogger.com" is NOT blocked--bwa-ha-ha!).
But overall I do submit to his judgment. We've been married almost 20 years, and many times I've cringed, KNOWING he was not only dead wrong but an absolute dolt! But I submitted with rolled eyes and clenched teeth--and a year or two later circumstances ALWAYS proved him right.
ALWAYS! It'd be irritating if it didn't prove God's word so utterly true and reliable!
Anyway, I'm doing now what I used to do before I started my blog: hijacking other peoples' comments boxes!
Once a windbag, always a windbag, I guess! :-)
KTC, so glad to hear you are well! I had an unplanned intervention myself this last month. My wireless LAN router died. My husband only condescended to bury her yesterday, I think because of my need for detox. In fact, I have a nervous eye on the clock right now. I also know that my blog is not very meaty, and that is the biggest reason why. I am either not the greatest at time management, or there are just too many slices of activity to fit in with the slices of time. Still, though I only recently started blogging, I want to continue as I have a sense of community, albeit virtual, and enjoy the interplay of personalities and ideas. Your comment on how St blog's is a microcosm of the universal church certainly rings true for me. Also, as a returning Catholic, after a very long time away, I have found this a way to begin to understand all that is going on in the Church today, sort of an overview, I guess.
Denise, Do I know you?
Have you ever been to St Louis?
If yes, hit me up on ICQ: 136547585.
If not - sorry you just remind me of someone.
regards,
Chris