Comments on: my friend and other stuff

By: willowonder

willowonder — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 17:01:53 +0000

Thanks Emily and David. I think you guys covered all I was going to say. I will also add that blogging and living are not mutually exclusive endeavors! And if you think I write about my emotions a lot, boy howdy, you ought to hear me talk!
I would encourage YOU, RD, to
1. Use your real name (Gary) when commenting. If you’ve got something to say, fucking own it, don’t hide behind a pseudonym.
2. Quit reading my blog if it offends your cyber-sensibilities.

By: david

david — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 01:33:47 +0000

Hey, R.D. You give some interesting advice. I would even say good advice, given a slightly different way. Maybe if you just take a deep breath and relax… (IF you know what I mean. WINKWINK)
As far as Lloyd Center et al., I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being trashy, and I don’t think that my friend Willow intended any deprecation of anyone except herself in this case. Just a little gentle ribbing, you know?
But the real pith was about Blogging. Hm. I’ll partially defer to Emily here, but I think that you’re really onto something in saying “beware.” Blogging can be dangerous. It’s dangerous, true, that one runs the risk of falling into a morass of virtual living; but I would say that it is still more dangerous when (as Willow does) one lives in and writes about the “real world.” It’s dangerous—among many reasons—because one comes to be very exposed, and as such in a weird space between intimate and public interaction; and because one runs the risk of being unempathetically judged while in that state of exposure.
I think, too, that sometimes we readers forget that a blog is not a full picture of the blogger, and that our understanding of the partial picture that is presented in a blog is, itself, partial.
The word “experiment” seems to be a problem for you, but that might be because of a difference between your usage and hers. To me “experiment” seems like a really excellent word to use to describe the blogging… experiment. To me it just fits that well, you know? I guess to you it just fits that badly. Could make for an interesting conversation.
Anyway, blogging has been a very valuable experience for me, and I don’t think that that value would really remain intact if I did all that it would entail to remove the dangers involved.

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 21:08:05 +0000

For my money, writing honestly about one’s life and feelings is one of the boldest personal experiments one can embark on, and I’ve SEEN it change the “real” lives of bloggers and diarists, too.
Willow, I love your Perfect Heart.

By: RD

RD — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:48:56 +0000

Lloyd Center didn’t even used to be covered, as in a roof, so no matter what it is now, it’s better than it was. Forever 21? Now that’s trashy. Beware the blog as outlet for emotions. That’s what the real damn world is for. I’m sorry to blast you post, but come on…”experiment”? This type of public forum is the ultimate non-experiment. Get to living, not posting, my friend.

By: allison

allison — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:12:54 +0000

dear willow,
can we talk more? i would like to do that, but maybe in a slightly more private way than posting on your comments and maybe that best way would be the emailing for now. try this email address: souvenir_clothing@yahoo.com and i will write you back.
and we can talk about the boys and our hearts.
peace.
allison

By: European

European — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 08:43:24 +0000

I wish I could have been there with you for the mall excursion. I wish I was a classier dresser, too…