Betwixt and Across

Somewhere there is a place for all of the people that think and operate "between" and "across" fields of specialization. Sometimes dogged (by others, or themselves) as "slackers" or "unfocused," I really do believe that the world would wither without them. Give them a crevice and they will build an entire eco-system. Give them a canyon they will build a bridge where others put up safety rails and fences. They are the religionless saints doing the work of holding together and advancing our world. Usually grossly misunderstood and underappreciated. Bless them.

election day-after

Despite the titles of my first two posts, this blog is not about politics. My friend Sarah (not her real name) called me last night from the victory party for governor-elect Deval Patrick of Massachusetts. I hadn't heard the results yet, and was elated to hear that he'd won after the recent curse of US politics. While driving home with my partner in the wee hours, we listened to Patrick's acceptance speech. A breath of fresh air in these spun-out days of monarchy and fear. The closer we got to home, the more static we got in radio reception, until finally we pulled to the side of the road to find a spot of reception. There we were, on a rainy Tuesday night, pulled to the side of a deserted urban street glued to the radio. Glued to this man's words, his courage, his optimism, his compassion. His words woven forever into the landscape of that still, deserted street. The moment, the street, the emotion kneaded into my brain.

exhibitionism + democracy

My friend Ann (not her real name) and I had a long discussion about blogs a couple of years ago. I think I can safely say that we were both fascinated by the blogosphere, and at different stages of acceptance of the how blogs change the boundary between private and public. There's a certain repulsion, for some, in the perceived confessional or vain nature of thinking that one's thoughts and words would be of interest to anyone else, including total strangers. Let's face it, you don't publish a blog without knowing that others may see it. It's the Internet, man... In my conversation with Ann, while sharing her aversion to exhibitionist diarists, I defended the blog as a democratizing force in the information world. Still, it has taken a few years, and a major shift in my schedule to bring me to the threshold of starting my own, pseudonymous blog. A wee little foray into throwing my 2 cents into the well of the World Wide Web.