WHERE AM I?
Posted by anthonynorth on May 12, 2008
In the last week or so Beyond the Blog reached its 700th post and raced past a quarter million hits. In just over a year, I’d say that was pretty good. Yet, I find myself asking: where am I? What is this blog about?
The answer is, it’s about me and what I want to write. Only problem is, I want to write about everything. Well, finally – I think! – it has all seemed to evolve into four super posts a week, each with between 3 to 6 poems, stories or essays.
I can’t ever see myself not writing those posts.
But in the last few months of experimentation, I think I’ve lost sight of blogging proper, even neglecting many of the other fields I was into. Well, I’m now reinstating a slightly different Diary of a Writer post, which should come out most days – I hope.
In it, you’ll find out more about me as a person, and I’m also going to incorporate my current affairs pieces here. So, what’s been happening in the world over this last weekend?
Well, the disaster in Burma is getting worse.
There are fears of over a million about to die. Yet, just over the border, the aid to stop it is in place. Now, I’m not mad about such international moves as the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.
But it seems to me that, if they’re going to have prosecutions for Genocide, why not devise an equivalent for manslaughter? I can think of many Burmese generals who fit the bill.
On a lighter note, it was Mother’s Day in America this weekend.
In the UK, ours was earlier in the year. It’s a good day, and I often reflect on it. Of course, with me it is mainly taken up with my wife, Yvonne, and our 7 kids, mostly grown up now.
But I also spend a little time thinking about my own Mother, who died of cancer when I was twelve. Old enough to remember her, but maybe not old enough to know her, I’m certain that I owe her. She gave me so much. But let’s not neglect fathers.
Doctor Who became one this week.
Now, don’t you Tennantites get all upset. It didn’t involve sex. He’s still pure and waiting for you! And I won’t tell you what happened in case you haven’t seen it yet.
But his daughter was the delightful Georgia Moffett, the actual daughter of a previous Doctor Who, Peter Davidson. The character is excellent, and it will no doubt lead to yet another brilliant angle to take this marvelous show.
© Anthony North, May 2008
May 12, 2008 at 9:50 am
I like this style of post, Anthony.
The Burmese disaster is hard to comprehend. I often think of how I live a sheltered life in a sheltered part of the world that suffers next to never from natural disasters. I hope the aid gets to the people who need it.
Do you celebrate Father’s Day in England? We have that one coming up next month. It’s a much more subtle thing than Mother’s Day.
May 12, 2008 at 10:03 am
Hi Sandy,
Thanks for stopping by. Yes, it’s terrible what’s happening in Burma - hopefully something will be done soon, ‘cos it’s the nature of things that, when the media moves on, we tend to do so too.
We have Father’s Day here, and it’s also next month. Much more understated than Mother’s Day, of course. And rightly so.
May 12, 2008 at 12:55 pm
The curse of blogging when your readers drive your content. Yet without readers you are shouting in a vacuum. You’re on the right track Anthony, just don’t lose sight of what you stand for.
May 12, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Hi Brian,
I’m not sure I’ve lost sight of what I stand for. Indeed, I don’t think I’ve ever posted anything I didn’t want to. How can I explain it? When you pointed me towards the writing prompt sites, I found myself in heaven, and still do.
For several years I’d been neglecting my fiction, and in finally attempting poetry, I was ecstatic, and still am. But the neglecting of other things was more a lack of time. I guess I tried to do too much.
Does that make sense?
May 12, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Yes it does make sense. There is not enough time to write for every prompt and read every blog and still have time to focus on what moves you the most. I do hope you have more success than I did.
May 12, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Hi Brian,
I’ve pulled myself up. There’s hope!
May 12, 2008 at 11:27 pm
We get Doctor Who several weeks later than you, so don’t spill the beans!
May 13, 2008 at 7:24 am
Hi Mo,
I’ll try not to. This is the problem with trying to review things in an international audience.
May 13, 2008 at 7:30 am
The situation in Burma is just devastating. I can’t bear to think of all those people suffering. On a lighter note, I’m sure I will enjoy your new format - looking forward to learning more about you!
May 13, 2008 at 7:32 am
Hi Selma,
So am I
Hopefully I’ll finally get to know myself.
May 13, 2008 at 8:04 am
I agree to you, i sympathized to those family who were affected by cyclone in Burma.And especially to those who lost their love ones.
Im sorry to hear that your mum died when you were just 12, i imagined how hard for you living each day without a mum…But for sure i thing wherever she is right now, she’s very proud of you…
Godbless
May 13, 2008 at 8:11 am
Hi Rhosie,
Yes, the situation in Burma is terrible, and it is now a man-made disaster developing. If the Junta doesn’t relent, the death toll will be horrendous.
And thankyou for those kind words. I suppose when you grow up without a mom you make far more mistakes than most, and also learn about life that much quicker.
I’m not saying this is a positive side to it, but it is a kind of reality. I’ve often said that wise people usually begin as stupid ones. They make a lot of mistakes to learn from.
Not that I’m saying I’m wise; but I hope she IS proud of me.
May 13, 2008 at 8:48 am
hi… thanks for the advise i will keep that in mind…