1- they see my blog, like something I write, appoint me to their blogroll and all is well.
2- Then after a hearty give and take I say something that offends them or something that shakes their world view.
3- I then am de-blogrolled. I keep track.
It's now 11 different blogrolls I have been on and now off.
I am a fire starter for some people. I will ask a question or pose a hypothesis that rattles the paradigm that they have chosen to live within. I tried to open the little box they occupy. People don't want to be burned. They fear others might. So, they try and put up the de-blogrolling asbestos barrier between the old NG and the people they care about. Somehow pretending I don't exist seems to be a soft comfort. Maybe if they hide their head in the de-blogroll sand it'll all go away. This isn't about you Julie. This is recent.
I just wonder what this really is all about? Who do they think they are protecting? Who do they think there is that is going to NOT read this. What do they think they are NOT endorsing by pulling off the Blogroll my little blog.
Oh, there could be legitimate reasons:
Bad writing. I'm not a great writer, but I do write. And I get notes from people who like what I write so that's not it.
Controversy. As long as I pick topics people are generally in favor of (little puppies are cute) or stay pretty vanilla (How about those Cubbies) I'm on the roll. Step into some area that scares them and I'm off into de-blogroll purgatory.
Personal Attacks. I have been guilty of that. I know better now. If I have a war I will do it by email. (It's not pretty) I have too many people reading this to attack one in particular.
I'm not angry. If I had thin skin I would feel wounded. I don't and I don't.
What do you advise? Should I tone it down? Should I write more Vanilla? Should I avoid all Controversy? Should I skip any topic which others might disagree with?
NAAAAAH. Never gonna happen.
When you hear the sound of hoof beats you think it's horses and then this zebra shows up.
And like the tiger, the stripes are there for good.
4 comments:
I received an Email from a friend of mine in responce to this post. He didn't send it as a comment and I reapect him. I have stripped out some personal comments and news. But, This is why I keep pushing the envelope, shaking the trees and stirring the pot. It's time for that supernatural spiritual showdown Lee Grady talked about. What follows is my Friends Comments:
If you water down anything I'm not reading your blog any more. I want MORE.
In the past few months I've learned more from YOU than any one. Here's why: I'm constantly challenged, and so is my walk. I love that and GOD does too. I'm one of those people who don’t like EASY and learns from challenges. I love the FACT that you can back everything you teach with the Word of God, not some book by some so-called expert. I don't want more of the world. I want more of God. So do many others I know who read what you write.
There are (I'm positive of this) many people who are listening and taking to heart what you're giving out. Don't give up and certainly don't give in. Compromise is worse than toning down for political correctness. Give 'em what they NEED, not what they WANT
Well, I'm glad you clarified that...
Sorry Gene. It's just that I honestly don't know you that well yet and I'm still trying to figure out where you're coming from (if that's possible). Perhaps I put you on prematurely.
To be right up front, the string of violence posts really disappointed me. I just don't feel right about endorsing those views, even on a blogroll, when I don't have the time to challenge and engage them.
I'm formulating a response on the tongues issue. If you want to work it as a guest post, let me know.
All for Him,
Aaron
Gene,
There's an art, I guess, to not taking offense too easily. It is a learned thing for me. To be honest, some of your posts could gain you the label "opinionated." But I have very close friends who are far more so in real life than you are on your blog, and have learned to temper my reactions with an overall vision of who I imagine you to be. We all have strong opinions on many things, we just have different levels of being reserved. I've always been extrememly afraid of conflict and many times avoid it at all costs. This sometimes gains me the label and false image of being patient (a biblical virtue) when in fact I'm afraid of doing right by correcting or rebuking.
That all said, take stock of what you want your blog to be. Keep in mind that if you agree with somebody 90% and somebody else 90%, the 10%'s that don't overlap between the two might make two friends of yours bitter enemies. I've made a number of blog friends over the last few years, and right now there are several sets of those people going at each other in one way or other.
I think it's probably protecting themselves in de-blogrollonization from others' opinions. I'm learning not to be controversial for the sake of confrontation, but to avoid non-confrontationalism with the knowledge that some people will harshly object. If your blog stays the same, you'll still be the Gene I know, and if I'm ever in Chicago, we'll have lunch.
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