Okay, it's not a manifesto as much as it is a new statement of intent.
Also, there probably was at least 1 part 1 somewhere back in the past where I declared that I was now going to do X and not Y.
So why now?
After suffering through the RNC and observing the general state of the world, I have decided to reconsider what I write here. This is, after all, is where I write non-fiction. I am a fiction writer who started by writing what amounts to non-fiction.
Second, I finally after years and years of posting stuff on the net received my first real constructive criticism from a non-relative.
"You have potential but I don't understand you."
I didn't say that it was particularly helpful. It was well timed. It made me stop and ask myself. What are you doing?
I replied I am wasting an inordinate amount of time amusing myself with a wit and will that mostly only I get. Everyone else just scratches their heads or thinks that I am a weird dude with a weird POV or worse call me a troll (without knowing what a troll actually is- I suspect) or that I am pedantic- which is mostly true- I do have a real need to always be correct, to the point of spending tons of time running down the truth on the internet.
Third, I accidentally posted a video where a well respected white lady tore down the whole argument of racism very prolifically. I went to delete it then saw it was reaching a lot of people and foolishly left it there on a comic book fan page. Then the real trolls appeared to make it into a Hillary vs. Trump post. I as the admin of the page spent an hour running down the facts and pointed them out to the troll who then wanted to know which of my friends he had insulted instead of the real issue. I kicked him off the page following that. This may seem extreme but the whole point of the page is to challenge POVs without getting mired in political agendas and such garbage. Then the next troll appeared, although he may have just been trollish. His point of attack was to discredit the speaker as a fraud or hypocrite. Both of these trolls were white, for the record. I did point out he was wrong as well. It didn't matter to him or at least it did not appear to matter to him. In the end, I removed the video as it really didn't belong on a comic book fan page.
What's the lesson here? I made a mistake. I thought that the accident wouldn't take away from the page or how I felt about posting there. It did. What I should have done is remove the video immediately with an oops and moved on. It made me painfully aware of how we Americans (and Humans) seem irrevocably divided and that there is little hope we will ever be able to have a discussion where everyone's opinions and POVs are respected. I found this very sad.
Then I started listening to:
The View from the Cheap Seats
Selected Nonfiction
by Neil Gaiman
The View from the Cheap Seats. if you want to buy it.
And then I realized I wanted to do something else with my time on the net. I want to get back to what I really want to do with my life. First and foremost being: writing. Stop engaging in social media warfare with the trolls and close minded and find my enlightenment somewhere else.
I probably am going to start using this blog to explore things and places and ideas I am interested in.
I may come back one day and write about guns and ideas and social justice, but for now, I am going to chase rainbows and ideas and words.
If this disappoints you, then I apologize.
Also, I do apologize about the web page. It's been a thorn in my side and I have found myself questioning why I have it. Do I even need it? Is it worth having? Is anyone using it?
Finally, if you read my other blogs, there will be changes on them as well as I change their formats into something more writable.
I just recently restarted a short story blog only to discover that I am, in fact, writing a novel and what is there are more character studies than stories.
So that one will change as well.
I will continue to use this blog as a mirror of my personal reflections minus a political agenda.
I am through with writing about politics. It does not bring me peace of mind or happiness of spirit.
Until the next time this has been, as always and continue to be, life according to Mike.
Also, there probably was at least 1 part 1 somewhere back in the past where I declared that I was now going to do X and not Y.
So why now?
After suffering through the RNC and observing the general state of the world, I have decided to reconsider what I write here. This is, after all, is where I write non-fiction. I am a fiction writer who started by writing what amounts to non-fiction.
Second, I finally after years and years of posting stuff on the net received my first real constructive criticism from a non-relative.
"You have potential but I don't understand you."
I didn't say that it was particularly helpful. It was well timed. It made me stop and ask myself. What are you doing?
I replied I am wasting an inordinate amount of time amusing myself with a wit and will that mostly only I get. Everyone else just scratches their heads or thinks that I am a weird dude with a weird POV or worse call me a troll (without knowing what a troll actually is- I suspect) or that I am pedantic- which is mostly true- I do have a real need to always be correct, to the point of spending tons of time running down the truth on the internet.
Third, I accidentally posted a video where a well respected white lady tore down the whole argument of racism very prolifically. I went to delete it then saw it was reaching a lot of people and foolishly left it there on a comic book fan page. Then the real trolls appeared to make it into a Hillary vs. Trump post. I as the admin of the page spent an hour running down the facts and pointed them out to the troll who then wanted to know which of my friends he had insulted instead of the real issue. I kicked him off the page following that. This may seem extreme but the whole point of the page is to challenge POVs without getting mired in political agendas and such garbage. Then the next troll appeared, although he may have just been trollish. His point of attack was to discredit the speaker as a fraud or hypocrite. Both of these trolls were white, for the record. I did point out he was wrong as well. It didn't matter to him or at least it did not appear to matter to him. In the end, I removed the video as it really didn't belong on a comic book fan page.
What's the lesson here? I made a mistake. I thought that the accident wouldn't take away from the page or how I felt about posting there. It did. What I should have done is remove the video immediately with an oops and moved on. It made me painfully aware of how we Americans (and Humans) seem irrevocably divided and that there is little hope we will ever be able to have a discussion where everyone's opinions and POVs are respected. I found this very sad.
Then I started listening to:
The View from the Cheap Seats
Selected Nonfiction
by Neil Gaiman
The View from the Cheap Seats. if you want to buy it.
I probably am going to start using this blog to explore things and places and ideas I am interested in.
I may come back one day and write about guns and ideas and social justice, but for now, I am going to chase rainbows and ideas and words.
If this disappoints you, then I apologize.
Also, I do apologize about the web page. It's been a thorn in my side and I have found myself questioning why I have it. Do I even need it? Is it worth having? Is anyone using it?
Finally, if you read my other blogs, there will be changes on them as well as I change their formats into something more writable.
I just recently restarted a short story blog only to discover that I am, in fact, writing a novel and what is there are more character studies than stories.
So that one will change as well.
I will continue to use this blog as a mirror of my personal reflections minus a political agenda.
I am through with writing about politics. It does not bring me peace of mind or happiness of spirit.
Until the next time this has been, as always and continue to be, life according to Mike.
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