Conflicted

I don't like it when blogs are used for conflict. The reason I have a blog is to share with my friends stuff about my life. And I like to read about my friends lives. I really dislike it when I come across things that are said in hate and anger. I hate the sorts of bad feelings it creates within me and within others. I know I am not perfect but I have been trying to make my blog a happy place to be. A place where people can come and keep updated with me and my little family. I find myself torn about what to do. Part of me says abandon the whole blog thing that way there will be a lot less bad "air" going around in my life and the other part of me wants to keep it because I keep my blog for family and friends. Also it's my best attempt at keeping a journal. I have never been good at keeping a journal but this has proven to be the best way for me to write my thoughts and feelings and even my testimony. You know how embarrassed I would be if future posterity came across my blog and found that I was a hateful and bitter person only capable of saying negative things and ruining relationships.

A friend of ours recently posted on his blog about why he dislikes Facebook. Among the many reasons he gave one of them is that it ruins relationships. That people will say things on there that they wouldn't say in person. While I don't have that experience with Facebook I have seen it in the blogosphere. I have seen one too many relationships ruined cuz people say things that probably shouldn't be said. Maybe ill intent was not entirely meant but that is the problem with text...you can't entirely gather sarcasm or inflections in voices and expressions on faces to help you better understand the persons intent. Therefore things come off wrong and then it leads to a huge battle and people truly are intent on saying hateful and rude things where originally there was no ill feelings at all.

If you are going to open yourself to the world and share every feeling you have whether it be political or moral you are going to have to expect that someone will not agree with you. If you hate it when people don't agree with your beliefs exactly then maybe those things should not be said. In fact they are probably better left unsaid. If you want to be free to say all the things that you want and you want everyone to agree with you then I suggest taking your blog private and only inviting those with the same intellectual and moral compass as you. It would save everybody a lot of anger and frustration and hate. And heaven's knows we don't need more of it in this world.

I am not trying to attack anybody. I don't believe a blog is a good place to do these kind of things. If I share my feelings it is not to hurt others. If I ever do it is not my intent. But especially after what I have come across lately I am going to try a whole lot harder to post about good things. About experiences that make me a better person. About experiences that help me grow as a daughter, a wife and a mother. And to keep my family and friends updated on the goings on of the Bennett family.

And so Trevor, for the most part I agree with you. People say things online that they would never say to somebody's face. Online people can become anyone they want to and it is a sad direction to see our world heading. I hope people would aspire to be more then hatemonger's and contention-monger's.

As a side note for Trevor, I think that it would be wise for you too to step back and look at the blogosphere as a whole. I believe the second comment on your last post is similar to what you were saying goes on on Facebook. Maybe it is the empowerment of the internet as a whole and not of Facebook itself. I definitely would not have said something like that to your face...But I am not writing this to say you are wrong. I am glad you and Colette have a blog and I enjoy getting updates on you guys. It can definitely be a really positive thing when you are updating others on your life.