2000-08-09 - 23:16 MDT

August 9, 2000

That's Why

Today I had decided that I wanted to mull over in my own mind the reason I do some things. I had pretty well picked a topic mentioned heretofore in different forums. I had made short postings, but nothing in depth, as time and space of a forum are, after all, limited.

Re-bloody-markable Al's Nove Notes forum (which I haven't read yet) question tonight, "Why do YOU read on-line journals ?" smashed the nail into the board!

I might be able to keep this entry down to a Bastion length --but my tendencies are to be prolix, we'll see.

There will no listing in order, priorities or the relative importance of anything - - - it will be as it occurs to me, as infuriating as it is to some of my friends who have not yet realized that I pretty well write like I talk. O.K., so with that, the parade shall move on.

One thing I value is the open Forums - the ability to think about what the writer says and reply with my views on the subject.

The privilege of being able to read what all ages come up with.

Meeting people new to me, listening to them, cogitating on what they have said and being able to hold their comments in electronic memory long enough to make remarks if I wish.

Discovering for my satisfaction any way, the wide difference in ages and ways of thinking. There are, you know, two schools of thought. One is, that there are two schools of thought. - - - - - - But sometimes the preceeding sentence seems to hold water, in that, when I first read someone's thoughts I think to myself, "Huh, that boat ain't gunna float." But when their angle soaks into my thick head, their reasoning makes sense to me. Voila, I am not the crusty curmudgeon that I thought I was, and have been known to adjust my line of thinking.

Some of the journals I read make me an instant friend of the journalist as our thoughts are so much alike or experiences and view of the same very similar

It is refreshing to read all the journals I have time for, especially those of young folk fighting the battles I did when young. The anticipatory parents, and those who are in the grand process of trying to teach, protect and raise those new ones to be solid, common sense citizens.

By the way, as near as I know there is no law saying that you can only be one thing. Many of us who do a journal or diary are both commonsense and zany as hell, and some times other stuff too - that's me.

Although at times the discussions become a bit heated, there is no way that shouting, screaming and pounding the table can be transmitted over the wire. We all have the prerogative of paying no attention to the slurs, rather than get into a nasty flame war, where, like real war - - - there may be a victor (May ?), but both sides have lost.

The atmosphere of freedom and courtesy is so widespread and the care shown by our crowd for all in the world. (the online bunch) is amazing.

Caoimhe with her intellect and wit is to me a prime example of the sort of young people who can set the pace for the future I think. You can see her new sitehere titled "Walking naked" (at least that is the url that brought it up last night), A rebel, a fighter and a strong union man, David Grenier at is here. A librarian, Mary Ellen has some good thoughts here turning leaves in the dry tomes littering the Garden of Wisdom.

There are so many more out there, Bev Sykes, Al Schroeder, Bonnie of the Chattering, Sandy of Dirt Road Ramblin', Sunshyn - a very gutsy veteran of many wars - of Sunshyn Dreams, Rob Hummel-Hudson (hope I have that name right) of the Book of Rob.

So many people, so many philosophies, so many different life styles and all with a past that helped form them into the persons they are.

Reading journals ? Yeah, that's why.

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