My neighbours live
on four different continents
in seven distinct countries.
It is a community of words.
Some residents are always there —
every morning watering their garden,
sprucing up their yard,
walking up and down the streets,
cheerfully bellowing happy greetings to anyone they think might be home.
Others come and go,
drifting in and out of sentences,
dashing off lines before they rush off to work,
wanting to be more present in the page,
but living more in activity.
Some use their pad
as a soapbox for deeply held convictions.
They shout from the rooftops,
vehemently vociferating,
emphatically pontificating,
usually engaging with those who preach from their own parapets.
Others enthusiastically purchase a property,
start constructing a home
and engage with other townsfolk for a little while
before abandoning their resolutions:
comment, comment, like, like, silence, delete, delete.
This homeland is a tangled web
where denizens meet through screens and finger tapping,
sharing little bits of written code,
reaching out,
touching others,
sometimes more profoundly than ever could a raised or clasped hand.
This is a realm
of soulful messages
from the heart.
*****************************************************
Today’s assignment for Blogging 101 was to engage with the community by reading other blogs.
“Why spend time reading other blogs?
- Publishing posts is only half of blogging — engaging with the community is the other.
- Considering what other bloggers write will inspire you and sharpen your thoughts. Part of what makes blogging a rich experience are the relationships we develop with people around the world. That only happens when we engage.”
I love reading other blogs. But today our town’s internet is down (for a few days?) so I will have to postpone my perusing. (Publishing through limited cellphone data!)
I have been encouraged, inspired and joyfully surprised by so many other writers around the world. I’ve made some very precious friends whom I have never met face-to-face, but I have laughed and cried with them and spent time on my knees praying for them.
The small piece above is a tribute to the world of blogging. 🙂
Jan 06, 2016 @ 21:35:11
Great job on your first post for the course. I live how you describe your blogging community as a neighbourhood and some people you only see sometimes. As always beautifully written. You should write a book, I would be the first to read it!
Jan 06, 2016 @ 21:41:11
Oh, wow! What an amazing encouragement. Thanks for that! And thanks for being part of the community. 😊
Jan 06, 2016 @ 23:13:58
you’re welcome
Jan 06, 2016 @ 21:41:09
I absolutely love the comparison of the blogging-verse to a community. You’ve done a great job describing all the different bloggers you see 🙂
Jan 06, 2016 @ 21:44:13
Thanks, Jade. I am sure there are so many more personalities out there. I am just blessed by many whom I have never actually met face-to-face. It is an interesting world. 😊
Jan 06, 2016 @ 22:44:55
What a wonderful portrayal of “blogland”! I hope you get properly back online soon. I’d love to know how you would describe the characters in your community that have been disconnected thanks to technology.
Jan 07, 2016 @ 05:25:30
Frustratingly tearing hair out. 😊 It is amazing how “connected” we’ve become and how much we take the Internet for granted! Word is we’ll be back soon . . . Thanks for encouragement! 😊
Jan 07, 2016 @ 22:36:41
I suppose a “whenwe” story for your kids will have something to do with the internet being down! I have been reading some of your poetry and absolutely love it. I was such a dunce with poetry when I was at school that I tend to run and hide when I see a blogger confess they’re a poet. Your blog has caused me to reconsider. Thank you!
Jan 07, 2016 @ 22:52:04
Absolutely! And 1) how much we pay for the Internet and 2) how little data we get. At the moment the whole family is limited to 20 Gb per month. If we want more we pay more (and then the cable is damaged or stolen and we get none.) 😊
Thanks for your kind remarks about my writing. Your words are just that — YOUR words. No one else has your voice. The more you write the more comfortable you’ll become and the more your style will develop! I think there’s a poet (of sorts) in all of us! 😊 Thanks again!