…I began to despair. But not due to the subject matter therein contained.
No.
It was something about the manner in which I must remain at electronic arm’s length from those to whom I have grown electronically close.
Closeness and separation are not only relative in this strange world of ours, but now have become virtualised as well. How far is one blog entry from another? How far is a comment from a post?
How far?
David Emeron: Sonnets 
A prevalent muse. (In exclusive circles)
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I am sure it must be. I have of course entertained it before. But for some reason… some reason I cannot identify… it struck me just now–a particularly hard strike it was.
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Indeed–but so very intriguing. I invite you to read “A letter to Albert”, in the ‘Sonnets’ of my blog. Also “Gaia’s Memoir’s No.4” in my ‘Haiku’ category–hence the reference to prevalence. I am following your blog and admire you bold, acerbic and witty style.
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And as you know, I read them and enjoyed them one and all.
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Then I am gratefully motivated to write more. Thanks.
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Do not mention it : )
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It is an intriguing thought. But one could drive one’s self mad with such deliberations. Best left to the philosophers or other muses, I think. At least for myself at any rate.
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one which seems to have generated more than its share of attention, for some unidentifiable reason.
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Excellent question for which I unfortunately have no answer. It is difficult to be away from those you have a relationship with regardless of whether it is in person or electronically.
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I would like to mention to you that I very much appreciate that you read my blog from time to time, and that you have, in a sense, taught me something very valuable over the past year, although I realise I have commented very little on other blogs.
Here are my unguarded thoughts, I hope you will take them in the spirit in which they are shared:
I am beginning to think that certain themes tend to be universal and bring people together and certain others are quite the opposite.
Subjects such as love and friendship and camaraderie–about which I most often write–are subjects among the former; for whom one votes in some political office and ones stand on some issue or other are often in the latter. Of course, one cannot please everybody nor can one bring everyone together in all ways or even in one way; still, I have realised that I care less and less about the latter and more about the former as I have written this blog this past year or so.
I know that we have both expressed ideas in the latter category occasionally, and, although this is not important, I find I sometimes find we may agree in some matter and otherwise not, these subjects as I advance in years, tend to seem less and less important.
Lately, I have had a bit of an epiphany regarding the latter topics; namely that I would rather people were happy and inspired than contentions, or with feelings hurt, etc. I think you probably understand what I mean. It does not matter the topic nor how strongly I may feel about it; I still would rather people felt me reaching out to those elements in each of us that are universal rather than those that are contentious.
I would, for example, never put what one one young friend of mine would term an “in your face” bumper sticker on my auto-mobile. All this has me thinking… Maybe even many of the latter subjects can be resolved more easily if one concentrates on the former.
It is because of this that–with perhaps some very rare exceptions–I shall stick to what I do best, so to speak, and avoid ramblings in the the latter subjects remaining firmly within the former.
This is by no means an admonition to you to follow suit. I just, for some strange reason, felt I should share this epiphany with you right here and right now for whatever reason. I am not sure why. Call it intuition or synchronicity or providence or the ramblings of an old mathematician.
In any case, please do not throw a brick at me, as I am these days of rather tenuous constitution.
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…or how immediate are they all?
I do not jest but only posit, my beloved. While working on another site I found that members would go to entries from years past to find something they needed to soothe their souls or fill their cup of joy. The immediacy of the virtual world instead of the distance was what amazed me. What was desired was sought after and found anew on their favorite site and the feeling of “hail fellow well met” (for lack of a better expression) was often shared on the site because of the strong feelings that brought the person there and searching. Often the member’s “real world/meat space/whatever” loved ones would come on the site then and become part of the conversation because of that very electronic closeness you address – although in despair.
I would be interested in knowing if any of your readers have family members and friends who also read this site. I know that I would have missed out on KanzenSakura without your recommendation and it’s one of my GoTo sites for the feeling of peace that I seek.
((not proofreading this so please do so, dear. I still can’t log into the site. LastPass is messing with all the blogish websites. thx))
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You are truly precious. it gives me joy that you go to my blog.
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Thank you, Toni
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As would I be so interested. I will, my sweetheart, go over this entry and look for any omissions as well as in an attempt to wring out every last drop of wisdom it might contain. I do love you so.
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Oh how I wish I could make you happy, but I suppose I must settle for making you unhappy by not insulting you….
The virtual world vs. the real world, closeness, separateness, discussions. as long as there has been face to face and as long as there has been distance, these things will continue to whirl around in our itty brains.
Before computers, just think – how many discussions, relationships went along based upon written dialogues? How many ongoing conversations from one letter to the next, being written by strangers only because of distance, not because of like or unlike mindedness?
I met my husband by……..posting an advertisement online! I went to a certain area on an internet carrier and threw caution to the wind. Interested in a Christian man with no baggage – no wife and children in another household, no clinging mother/parents….financially stable, responsible, truly Christian and not just church goer, sharp mind, constantly in a state of curiosity and wanting to learn, dry sense of (nay, acerbic humor is fine) humor, eccentrics are acceptable, ordinary need not apply. Me? Plain as a Urkops (a local grocery chain) paper bag but full of gourmet delights.
heavens. Within 20 minutes of posting, I had over 100 hits. the usual weirdies, the recovering from some kind of addiction, the newly divorced (and obviously unable to read or comprehend simple English), the strange and the few…..acceptable ones. I picked five and within a week, I was down to one. THE one. We conversed online for a couple of months, finally spoke on the phone and finally, had lunch. then dinner. then….we began to date. We’ve been married for 13 years, both of us late bloomers, eccentric, eclectic, esoteric oddballs.
So when it comes to virtual, I may not be a good one with whom to posit this. But I know how I enjoy the connections I have with a very few, the back and forth letters as it were. From one Rennaisance soul to another. the words of kindness and encouragement given from time to time. The fact that I have never seen a wonderful lady named Paulette does not negate her words of sympathy over the suicide of friend and her words of wisdom regarding my grief. The conversations with you are no less than if face to face. thinking of your sweet girl reading my blog makes me no less proud and amazed.
Anyway, I forget what point I was going to make David. it would be like that face to face and we would just have to move along.
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What an amazing story! I am encouraged. All of my friends, you see, are most unusual. It makes me think that… well… Imagine this:
The possibilities are endless, do you not think? I have joked about placing such an ad, however now I am inspired more towards doing so.
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I like that, have a beer and watch girls…(she raises her hand) me! me! Pick me! I’m a good girl watcher – I am onto their tricks and can offer protection!) I actually helped a friend pick out his wife that way. He sipped on Miller Light and i sipped on a black and tan. He had already looked at several and I warned him off. I finally picked out two from the gaggle. One took, the other did not.
10 years now of bliss on their part. I never thought I would place an ad for a man. Go figure. Strangeness occurs. But I love the lad – 10 years younger than me and bald as an egg but an excellent practitioner of the tango. He gets tired easily. My mama warned me that men give out sooner. The next one (if it happens) is going to be 20 – 25 years younger.
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I would like to write more on this subject, but I fear my time for this session has run out, it is now 2am and I must actually work. Bah!
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Dear Mrs. Emeron is also a quite accomplished girl watcher. She has always claimed a wonderful side benefit from this. Perhaps I should say no more : )
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And would this be the Argentine tango? We have some enthusiasm about that dance in particular.
And… one never knows the future, of course, but at least I may claim very, very long-lived stock. Such things may only matter in terms of a decade or two; still every minute of life is precious.
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