I've been prone to quiet spells in many of my relationships. I've left people wondering what is going on in my head and whether I'm alright. During these times, conversations do not come easily to me. I will feel the other side's tension, and I'll feel worse, and the silence will compound. They'll say, "Brian, you're so quiet...you're not always this quiet. Are you O.K.?"I sometimes respond by saying that I just need someone to ask me some questions, and then I'll have something to say.
I seem to be in that sort of spot now with this blog. A very quiet space. Nothing to write about. Although there are many things going on.
So I'm asking you, ask me some questions, and I'll tell you no lies.
If I've any readers left, ask what you will, and I'll write a post about it...I promise.
14 comments:
About a month ago you left me wondering. Your post on Can I Get A Witness your thoughts were "guarded" (as you stated in the comments). My question to you or perhaps challenge is - to "unguard" your thoughts and write a post on how you really feel. And maybe do it in a way that we the people of plain speaking may understand it.
And don't worry about scaring anyone away, I don't think we spook as easy as you might think.
Ooooo...good one Janice. I'll do it, but I'm afraid. It will take a little to compose, but it will be a good exercise for me. Thanks.
Anyone else?...
Hmmm... No questions; my own inner processes have gone a bit quiet lately too. Just dropping by to say I'm still here, still reading and enjoying whatever you find to say.
Thanks Andy. I'm the same with your blog. I'm always reading, rarely commenting. I do like what you have to say.
Perhaps you can write a sensitive and thoughtful post on the controversial Jesus Family Tomb documentary.
Since I wasted valuable cyber space detailing the need for impatient modern humans to demand immediate, quickie answers to everything, it would be refreshing to have a cerebral and mature individual, such as yourself, tackle this Ned Flanderian 'dilly of a pickle'.
Or post pictures of Puppies! Everybody loves Puppies!
tell me about your school lunches in grade 5.
Still here reading and also going through a quiet spell.
I would like to know about the person who has inspired you the most. :)
and just what is so wrong with going through a quiet spell that you need other people to ask you questions? I would sooner leave you to ask your own questions, the good ones that come after deep silence.
Rod,
Always the mystic, aren't you. I think you missed your calling as a monastery mouse.
The good questions after silence sometimes never get asked out loud. And if they never find a voice, then they never seem to be fully clarified or answered.
Wax on, wax off.
Brian,
"The good questions after silence sometimes never get asked out loud. And if they never find a voice, then they never seem to be fully clarified or answered."
Y'know...that almost sounded like you said something...but you don't get off the hook that easy. Go back to the silence brother.
It makes sense to me.
You're drinking again, aren't you Rod?!
word verification: urwyzsass
Well, I actually wasn't trying to be a wyzsass. I think I've convinced myself of personal truth enough times to recognize when someone else does it. The difficulty I see is although things may make sense to us personally, if nobody outside understands it...where do we go?
This ties in to "Truth is local" that was discussed somewhere else on this blog. I have some trouble subscribing to that point of view. If Truth is local then why do we try to validate our perceptions through other people; they can only validate if their truth was coincidentally the same as ours. In that, are we validating Truth or Coincidence?
I work from the premise that because we share our humanity, we must also share some common pool of experience. If that is true, then would we not be subject to certain Truths that are equally true for us all?
I am fully behind your urge to experience the world for yourself and walk the Empirical Path. We have seen far too many religious adopt beliefs and lifestyles lock, stock and barrel without questioning or understanding. I am also not worried that you are in a spiritual winter right now. I think these winters lay waste to beliefs and dogmas that are not truly connected to life. I have always really liked a line from a Luba song, "notions pre-conceived can lead to utter madness".
In the end I will enjoy walking beside you as you journey on, but I won't always ask you questions to draw you out of yourself.
Rod,
Of course you weren't. That was a feeble attemt on my part to bring a little levity to something which has become fairly serious. I wasn't expecting this not to end up that way. That was my stopping for water during an aerobic exercise. But that really was the word verification. :)
About truth being local...I believe that we seek validation simply to feel validated, not necessarily to be agreed with or confirmed as universally true. For instance when Joyce was young and living at home, her father would tease her with a smack on the bottom. She grew to be quite annoyed with it, and would say "Ow" every time he did it. He would always reply with, "That doesn't hurt". It may or may not have been true that it hurt, but what Joyce wanted was for her dad to validate that she thought that it did, whether he agreed or not. I now have to watch this with my own kids. It's easy to just press forward with my own reality. Also, in my classroom there are 26 students who want to be validated for what they think is true in their lives. It shows itself daily when I get a look or a comment which is an obvious attempt from each of them in asking if I will acknowledge that they are valued. I may not paersonally think so all the time, but they want to know if I am will to at least show that I do. I may think some of them are real terrors much of the time, but when they come to me out of turn and ask if I like their drawing or whatever, they are looking to be validated, aside from MY truth.It puts me in a fairly powerful position, because I could very easily turn their truth into mine.
Shared humanity equals SOME shared experience. That sounds good to me. I think that only natural laws are universally (earth) true, however. Beyond that, I'm not so sure. That is a very big question.
If you don't want to ask any question, fine. But could you bring your spirit level with you?
Hello Brian aka I-belong-to-Joyce,
I hate to be obnoxious but you will be happier in your black and white images (if you have any discrimination whatsoever) if you shoot them in color and convert them through your photo program.
For what it is worth,
Me, those northern skies
PS nice to meet you...
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