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acceptance
July 2009 
It's Official
Posted on Apr 7th, 2009
by 
michaelsits
michaelsits
Every one of my favorite blogs is now out of the top ten "popular" list for me.
The various possible reasons aside, it is a bummer that the stuff that i really dive into is trumped by more socially acceptable topics that do not go very deep or take risks. I should not be surprised but for some reason i continue to be.
humility. a lost value.
courage. what is this courage you speak of?
conformity. safety and security in numbers.
sex. it sells. if i do not want it to "sell" i should not write about it.
hypocracy. an art form, possibly the only thing i have mastered:)
ego. a firm grip on things. i am not alone.
The various possible reasons aside, it is a bummer that the stuff that i really dive into is trumped by more socially acceptable topics that do not go very deep or take risks. I should not be surprised but for some reason i continue to be.
humility. a lost value.
courage. what is this courage you speak of?
conformity. safety and security in numbers.
sex. it sells. if i do not want it to "sell" i should not write about it.
hypocracy. an art form, possibly the only thing i have mastered:)
ego. a firm grip on things. i am not alone.
Access: PublicTagged with: life, writing, acceptance, sex, humility, social programming, bloggs, blogging, hypocracy, security
Which is your favorite? Or which are your favorites? I'm curious.
Thanks siona for facilitating me reflecting on what are my favorites. I actually took the time, about an hour, to list them and add the links for anybody feeling moved to read the list. Then gaia ate it(irony?) and so you just get the list without the links, sorry.
My favorite without a doubt is; De-Expression. I think it is the best example of who i am, what moves me and inspires me.
In the spirit of Top Tens, is my Top Ten favorites:
Blindenss
The Football Player-Florist
i am not a healer
Eyes Open
The Janitor
Another Janitor- Oscar
Thunderstorms
Jimjilbang
How do you walk away?
Beth
We Don't Even know we Have It
OK, so it was eleven…
Some fiction stuff too. My favorite fiction are the excerpts from my novel Forgetting and Rememembering Mathew.
A Top Five fiction:
Assignment: Snapshot
Assignment: Past Lives Conclusion
Assignment: Solitary Confinement
Assignment: Solitary Confinement - Nancy's P.O.V.
Assignment : Popular
And a Top Five Poetry (really, just not prose):
The Man in the Lighthouse
Not When Hiding
Communal Bathing
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Weedin”
If i could Change One Thing
And some Q&R out of respect for the Goddess of Q&R:
What do you believe about Karma?d
How id you start on your spiritual Path? Did you always look Deeper?
What is your greatest distraction?
What do you find mysterious?
Have you ever had a psychic experience?
OK, done now. I realize nobody will go through the whole list. This was as much for me as to answer your questions. As a beginning writer, acknowledging what feels good to me is helpful and refreshing. Time to go do some writing.
Thanks for being you siona. i continue to be surprised by when and what you add your comments or questions to:)
Peace
michael
Oh, thank you, Michael! And why presume nobody would go through that whole list? Some of us are writers; some readers. I'm sure your work will reach those who need it.
Can I ask more questions? What do you like about your top ten? That is, what qualities make for a 'favorite post'? (I'm curious mostly because getting clear on this might help you incorporate those aspects in more of your writing, and so that, this way, every post would be a favorite of yours. :). And what would happen if you answered those top Q&Rs today?
Also, this month, again, is National (World!) Poetry Month. Perhaps you might repost some of your poems.
I would have a hard time putting together a top ten of your blogs, Michael, because I love so many of them.
Great questions!
I took a brief moment to stare at the list of the ten favorite and the common thread is diving in wholeheartedly, letting go along the way and taking risks in the writing and posting. there is little social reflection, which is surprising since that is what i wrote about the most i think. Good piece of knowledge to have. Humility and respect seems common among them as well. I noticed that they all have a clear message, if not more than one but the message is not 'told' as much as it is experienced.
Interestingly the fictional pieces including the Mathew excerpts, have strong either male-female interaction or a female voice! How interesting.
The poetry favs are also pieces i dove into fully with humility, respect and simplicity of voice, and intimate on some level.
The Q&Rs are the ones that the subject content and mood at the moment of writing them was forceful and focused, AND let go fear of what others reading may think or feel. I did not know it was poetry month, i actually know very little about writing the writing world or what makes for good writing; i just like writing and sharing it. I actually have considered a few times responding to the Q&R questions the next day to get another perspective:) Laziness trumps creativity…
Isn't re-posting a bit egocentric?
Thanks for helping me with this process. I think i see trends in what i appreciate in what i write and what i do not as much so embrace.
Peace
michael
Isn't awareness wonderful? Thank you for indulging me. :)
And re-posting ego-centric? Oh, Michael. Isn't blogging ego-centric? And isn't it just as much a gift and a blessing to those who might need to feel understood, or to feel less alone? It's just a matter of perspective. What would be wrong with compiling some of your favorite poems in a post? Or contributing them to one of the Groups? Poetry feeds people, don't forget.
The indulging is mutual. :) And yes awareness is wonderful!
I thought about the blogging thing right after pushing the “add comment” button. Please remember i am a beginning writer, i still question whether what i write is worthwhile to others. I know it fro/to me but ot always certain for others. There are pieces when completed that i can feel in my gut that have value, those are probably the ones that make up the lists we are discussing. So, sharing them again involves anouther leap for me. But i hear you and agree if it was baout somebody besides myself, if that makes sense.
What groups would you recomend me posting them? They have all been shared on DD already, my gaia “home”.
Peace and thank again.
michael
Thanks nicole. i think if you stopped reading my posts, i might stop posting:)
How else would i know that what i write is worthwhile to anyone but me?
Peace
michael
PS- i just mistyped name three times, is there a contest i can win for that?
Well, there's the Empowered by Poetry Group, which, thanks to John D., is quite active (he'll be interviewing some of the poets on two radio programs later on in April). And The Poet Tree is quiet but that, to my mind, seems all the more reason to post. There are other options within Groups, too (so many have a place to post creative contributions!) but those depend more on interests and topics relating to the work.
Hi, Michael - I was posting pretty regularly on your blogs for a while. I came to feel that the comments were primarily a conversation between you and Nicole - so I withdrew.
peace -
Sylvia
Thank you for s haring that sylvia. It pokes me right int he gut although i am sure not your intention.
I ha hoped that but nicole and i having such casual and genuine dialogue that other would feel the same comfort level to share, question or challenge. Apparently i was incorrect. Good to know.
I enjoyed your presence sylvia. Not sure wht to do about mine and nicoles conversations feeling between us only. need to sit with it a bit but glad you felt comfrtable sharing it.
On a moer personal level for me, i hope it did not keep you from reading, which is of greater importance to me.
Peace
michael
Hi, Michael - thank you for the grace with which you responded to my feedback.
Reflecting on my feelings - it seems to be parallel to dynamics I've observed (and been part of) in various close knit and warm welcoming communities. Since there are bonds between people who are part of the existing group - it can take focus and effort to welcome newcomers. People _want_ the new members to feel welcome and included - the newer folk just don't yet share the layers of experience, connection and communication and it takes a bit of time and often intentionality to build those layers together. And sometimes it takes stepping out of one's comfort zone a bit. An example for me would be sitting with folks I don't know very well yet at church potlucks, rather than sitting with friends and members of my family of choice. I often wind up alternating between familiar and unfamiliar people depending on what else is going on.
Given this exchange - I'm likely to read your blogs more and perhaps comment once in a while.
I think another piece of it is that when I comment on peoples' blogs - they tend to be more likely to comment on mine. It's a way of getting to know each other better - and having more to communicate about.
appreciatively -
Sylvia
Sylvia, it's so good to hear you say that. My heart sank when I saw your first comment.
You know, it's funny, some bloggers here have taken offense when the comments in a blog are not all directed at them and as a consequence I realise I may have become overcareful about not getting into “side-chats” with other people on a blog. Thanks for bringing that up for me.
Michael, I wanted to add too to what Siona said about active groups welcoming creative writing that there are other places you may post your work.
For a nearly full list (work in progress) of current active groups on Gaia see: here
DREAMS OF ARTISTS™
HAIKU (Poetry)
Now I Can See the Moon
God Pod or Life, the Universe and Everything
sylvia you bring up another good point: Blogger etiquette. Unfortunately for m- i do not pass this test. I rarely read or comment on others blogs for three very specific reasons that may or may not be valid.
1) My online reading is done on the Diving Deeper pod. It keeps me busy and is the reason i am a gaia member. I have masde a commitment to that group and will continue to honor that commitment.
2) I struggle with eye strain and have my whole life. Without turning this into a story about me, it has inproved in the last year but still a definite issue. So i have read maybe a totla of twenty blog post in my year on gaia.
3) i am not very versed in political correctness nor concerned about making others feel good when it is not genuine for me. This creates some problems with commenting on blogs.
the third reason is the least of a factor, the first two are really why i donot read blogs. I realize this is one of the reaosn my blogs do not get the amount of traffic as others and am Ok with that. It is not acompetition but appreciate the feedback, support and most of all the conversations. In short, i choose not to folow blogging eteiquete and will not be. I have tried forcing msyelf to respect and honor friends but it is just not wehre my heart is. It seems dishonest and ingenuine for me to do without my heart into it.
I am sharing this with you so you do not feel disrespected if you do not see me recipricate on your blog. Not personal. I have read two blog post on 2009 so far.
Peace
michael