Friday, March 12, 2010

I’m not bowling alone.

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I hate it when I suffer from a blogging block. For the past week I have been looking for some raw, clever, creative blogging material. Nothing too exciting happening in my corner of the world though. And I am feeling the pressure. My daughter, April, has hit the blogging jackpot this week…she has had over 25,000 visitors to her blog, Eclectic Effervescence, THIS week alone. Granted, she is one talented writer and she has taken on the mega-giant known as Facebook but her cause is valid and important on so many levels ~ freedom of speech, women’s rights, and right of babies to be nourished without having to suffocate under a blanket while eating. I am more than a little proud of April and her writing success but now…I have hit the writing wall…hard. I did consider the fact that April’s success came in part because she is writing about breasts and our societies’ confusion over the true purpose of breasts. So for a nano second I considered writing about vaginas. Maybe if I wrote about the saga of a menopausal vagina I would become an overnight blogging success but there were a couple of problems with that idea. One…my husband and children would be mortified and probably disown me. Two…what would I actually write about my menopausal vagina? I don’t think anyone really wants those type of details. So back to the blogging think tank I go.

I am fortunate that today is a Friday which means I can once again participate in ‘Only the Good Friday’, a meme created by my blogging friend who lives at This Eclectic Life . Maybe given a little structure and organization I would be able to focus. So I reflected on the week to try and determine my best thing. And after a couple of cups of my Yogi Egyptian Licorice tea which always calms me I had that ‘AHA’ moment. That moment when the Universe lines everything up perfectly. A feel good, let’s get writing moment.

I just finished reading ‘The Geography of Bliss’ by Eric Weiner. A definite worthwhile read about Eric’s travels to find the happiest place on earth. He states that 70% of our happiness comes from our relationships with other people. I knew that being around my family and friends always usually makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. He mentions the book ‘Bowling Alone’ by Robert Putnam which states that our sense of connection is fraying. We lead fragmented lives and spend less time socializing in person. Social networking on the Internet cannot replace the ‘up close and personal’ interaction between humans. When I am with my family and friends I can physically feel my soul being nourished. Sappy, I know, but it is the truth and the story behind my blog title.

So as I was considering what my best thing for this week was, Weiner’s words were buzzing around inside my head. I then realized what an incredibly full week I had lived surrounded by my family, friends, delicious food, bowling, rug hooking, laughter, shopping, romancing…lots of bliss. So many good things.

And as I organized my pictures of the past week to see if there were any which would tie in with this post, the little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when I found this shot. My husband and I went to the beach on Sunday to enjoy the warm air which had moved into our area. This sign was in a gift shop window.

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It IS in the shelter of each other that the People live…and may you never bowl alone.

12 comments:

The Muse said...

:)
you know...sometimes..the normal small things in our life...those that are points of peace...are just the right thing to share in a blog...

because, i am happy, just knowing that you have those moments :)

blessings,
to you

Kim Mailhot said...

Love love love this post, Debbie ! You are suffering fron blogging block at all, really. You just had to go back to what you KNOW, right ? ;)
I am happy to say that I will never bowl alone either. Nourishing and cherishing those precious relationships with our loved ones is the best work we can do in this life.
Big love to you, Wise One.

Willow said...

You're so right, Deb! I'm off this morning to bowl with my buddies :)

Akelamalu said...

What may not seem like much happening to you, to your readers it could be very entertaining! :)

R. J. said...

I enjoyed reading your latest and I visited your daughter's wonderful site. I haven't read Bowling Alone, but it makes a good point. Those of us who spend a lot of time online do so even though we realize it takes a back seat to time with family and local friends. Online friendships can also be very rewarding and since I'm retired, I have time for all contacts.
I envy your trip to the beach which I crave any time of the year.

abb said...

I do believe your writer's block is gone now. Love the proverb.

Brian Miller said...

may you never bowl..or walk...alone. smiles. congrats to your dau as well...wow!

JoyACookin' said...

You have many good thoughts for today. I, too, suffer from the dreaded blogger's block, especially trying to maintain a meaningful daily post. I have found that less is indeed more. When I winnow my thoughts down to a single concept, it comes out much more easily. Keep up those OTGF thoughts.

Natalie said...

Such a lovely post! Never a truer word was spoken. :)

This Eclectic Life said...

Beautiful. May I take that as my new life motto? Don't resort to writing about "taboo" body parts for "hits." Unless, of course, you have a darned good reason. I'm delighted that you wrote this. You inspire me. Have a lovely weekend.

Spadoman said...

I think I saw your name, and this post title, on Shelly's Eclectic Life blog. I also write an Only the Good Friday post most Fridays.
The title got me to click on the post and have a look.
I share your original thoughts often. I get writer's block, if you want to call it that, but it's just not knowing what I want tot write about at the moment.
Also, I know Bowling Alone is a metaphor, but I looked at it as reality. I want to get up some folks and actually go bowling. I have the urge. I haven't gone in years. I was all excited about reading about some bowling club or some other tidbits about bowling.
I want to go bowling for the reasons you mention. Social activity. I do a lot of things alone, but IU am not lonely. And you are very correct to say that we feed off of each other, socially, and it bonds and strengthens us all.
Anyway, funny how things happen. Want to go bowling?

Peace.

Daryl said...

I was over visiting Joyce, do you know her? http://flourpowerjoyce.blogspot.com/2010/03/philladelphia-flower-showpassports-to.html

Made me think of your not so long ago wedding in India ...

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