Monday, August 22, 2005

Progress Not Perfection


One particularly cantankerous family member of mine was (and likely still is) always getting on the computer, long after having spent the day at work in an office. This was baffling to me. After all, he lives on the tropical island of Kauai. But avoiding conversations with him is always anyone's best bet, so I will never know exactly what he was up to. I suspect he was "chatting". Perhaps it increases his chances of being a decent human by interacting with text, verses with anything auditory, considering his abusive tone and critical connotations. I judged this behavior to be unhealthy, and definitely could NOT relate.

Then, less than a year ago, my downstairs neighbor told me he was putting something up on an on-line journal. I thought, and said, something to the effect of, "As in, anyone can read it? Why would you wanna' do that? And why would they want to read it?"

Some months back I was trying to put a band together and a guy I met, via the net, told me to check out his myspace account. I did my best. When he questioned me about whether I had taken time to do so, I told him, "It was a lot to negotiate." He tried to encourage me to join, informing me of the features for linking up my music.

Eventually I received an email from a friend who was blanketing out a link to a blog that our mutual Hometownie had sprouted. From there I saw that all who dwell where I hail from, and blog, can be found listed by profile. Once an ex of mine started blogging, I couldn't help but want to comment. (I explained this before, but it is part of my story line, so bare with me.) In order to comment I had to have a blogger account. After a few day's procrastination and hesitance I birthed Moot Montage. Now I post my bullshit shenanigans 4 times a week or so, and check up on 1/2 a dozen blogs daily, or there abouts.

And I have concluded 2 things thus far:

1. When I judge others I almost always have the opportunity to walk in their shoes eventually. Often it is shortly thereafter. Should I hear myself say anything along the lines of "why would anyone..." or "I don't understand how people..." Then I am setting myself up for ever so quickly knowing and understanding exactly why or how. And...

2. If I convey something to someone because I am interested in inspiring growth or change in them, I need not get frustrated if my communications yield no results. It is obvious that many lifestyle changes occur over a progression of first hearing of the possibility of a thing, then developing one's own inquisition, followed eventually by serious consideration, and finally begins our first attempts.

2 comments:

Crystal said...

"When I judge others I almost always have the opportunity to walk in their shoes eventually."

Well said Carrie. As far as blogging goes, until I started my blog last May I was like "how arrogant can that be?", but now I am Totally into blogging and it's a great form of expression. Even my husband wants a blog now!

Carrie said...

Ahhh, that is too cute, I'm glad you shared that about yer man. Thanks for checking in with me Crystal. :)