Writing again ? The Lair of the Wolf

Been a while since I actually wrote something. And that?s probably due to the bulk of office work I seem to be saddled with day in and day out. Add to that, I also have other things to attend to in my spare time. Yep, it?s been quite hectic these past few days.

I have had some thoughts which I entertained over these past few weeks. And I felt writing down some of them here. But as it would happen, my physical limitations overwhelmed me and so I often end up falling asleep. I would usually awake to another work day so I?ve lost the time and opportunity where I could have written my thoughts down.

I guess that?s the difference between blogging for one?s self and blogging for an audience or for monetary considerations. When you do it for your audience or your benefactors, you are compelled to write despite the time, situation and other considerations. You are beholden to other people and so you?re forced to think and forced to put something in your ?personal? blog. When you write for yourself, you write at your own convenience.

But writing (or in this case, blogging) is not merely the desire to let off steam or express angst, frustration, excitement and other emotions. I think there?s more to it than just that. Writing, while may be done with the use of words translating the thoughts passing through the authors head, is more about having time for yourself. I have always found the moments I blog to be among those where I am, to borrow the terms used by my Jesuit mentors, one with myself.

Writing is more about introspection than it is about relating to others (or in the case of Philippine social media, joining the fray of opinions). When you write you have to talk with your self; entertain the thoughts which bother you; and attempt to understand why they disturb you or why you spend so much time on them.

While we are often times made to believe that when we write we are speaking to others, in reality we are speaking with ourselves and trying come up with a perspective of the things and around us and affirm that view of the world ? this is the same reason why many of us often wait for reactions to what we have put into words.

In Tumblr, people who relate to your thoughts, like the post or reblog it; in Twitter, they retweet it; on Facebook, they like or share it ? all these are both affirmation by others that they too share our view; they too feel the same way we do; or at least they appreciate how you have expressed your thoughts in words.

Let us be honest with ourselves, we do like it when people like our blog posts, reblog it, share, retweet it and more so, when people comment on them. But should these be the reasons why we should write or blog? If such is the case then for whom are we writing or blogging for?

We cannot deny though that as social beings we take delight in the appreciation by others of what we write or do. And I admit that being appreciated by such in social media truly makes the heart warm. We must consider these expressions as gifts from people who relate to what we write or how we write ? and be grateful for them.

But ultimately the challenge of writing (or again in this case blogging), is how one should remain true to one?s self even when no one else can relate to the thoughts that bother you. And while it is important to write for the benefit of others, it must be based on the need to confront the ideas that bother one?s self.

Reconciling these thoughts, I will try over the next few days to write again. I hope though my other preoccupations would be much kinder with their demand of my time.

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