It is amazing how a little thing changes a lot of things.I have discovered Twitter. It's a little website that answers the question "WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?" It is very simple and I find I have a hard time explaining it to non-Twitterers (they don't like being called "Twits", although "non-Twits" they may embrace). Even for myself I am trying to figure out why I find it so fascinating, and why I get such a rush catching up with my twitters (tweets?) when I've been busy for a while.
I think the amazing part of it is that I feel closer to my friends and I even feel close to a whole new Twitter community that I had no idea existed. I am finding commonalities with people that I have never met. I'm reading blogs of strangers, and yet they aren't strangers anymore because I know when they ate, what they had for lunch, how frustrated they are with work or how little sleep they've had in the last 24.
Why am I so interested in the small details of stranger's lives?
Why am I willing to share the details of my life so openly? Is this dangerous?
I've had more than my share of strange looks from folks regarding my online activities. To them, "Blogging", "Twittering", and "Live Streaming" sound more like medical disorders than socializing. I think they are afraid I might be contagious!
Disorder or not, I have definitely decided to live an "open" life. I have found the situation challenges me.
- It challenges my creativity. I begin to see my life as an adventure to be shared, and what a wonderful way to see life, no? How do I turn a trip to the grocery store into an adventure (in less than 140 characters)?
- It challenges my character. Who am I, when no one is looking? Who am I, when everyone is looking? Why is there any difference anyway? Should there be?
- It challenges me spiritually. I claim to have discovered an extraordinary faith. Does it make any difference? Am I indistinguishable from an unbeliever? How do I really steward my time, talents and treasure?
No doubt, the "open life" is not without it's risks. I need to stand by every word I write. I may be called to account for them YEARS down the road, perhaps at a job interview or before a jury (shudder!).
To some, this may seem to be nothing more than a recording of the minutiae of my life as a monument to myself, but I hope that someday, they will see the adventure this gift of life has been, (and still is) to me.
Peace Love and Journeying Together,
Rich
1 comment:
Your "open" life has also been a great gift to me as your mother. I've felt closer to you than I ever have and feel like I know and love the man you've become and am very proud of how you've grown in character and in maturity and spiritually!!!! Our lives are an open book to God---why would we shun opening it up to others? Fear---and God does not give us the spirit of fear.
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