Chapter Next

Less than 24 hours have gone by since I created this new space for myself, and already friends are finding me, reading me, enjoying me, and inviting me into their blogging worlds. It feels good to know there are people out there who care what you think and do and who want to share their innermost thoughts with you as well. I occassionally blog on MySpace and find great joy and comfort in it, and I have already begun to think of this little page as a sanctuary. I am terrible at expressing many things out loud-appreciation, love, the need for help-but words just seem to flow when I sit in front of a keyboard. The written language is a powerful thing that our generation is ignoring and forgoing in favor of a more immediate gratification. Letter writing is a thing of the past, emails are reduced to acronymns, and books are available on cd-or better yet, just rent the movie. Thank goodness for spaces like blogspot, where in some form the written word is reborn and a little humanity is infused to that intangible world wide web.

Reading my friends' blogs is like reading their diaries...they share hopes, dreams, triumphs, sorrows, trivia, tragedies, and so much more. Fifteen minutes of glancing through my friend Tessa's blog gave me a much better idea of what her life and family are like than a year of random emails and comments on MySpace. Every morning now I read my friend Lauren's blog-I know that no matter what, there will be something to make me grateful for waking up and one more reason to love her. Alicia and Chris are chronicling their first attempt at parenthood...and not only am I enjoying it, but Hannah will love reliving those first few months of her life when she is old enough to read and understand.

Perhaps this is yet another attempt for an overdramatic, attention-seeking personality to shout "Here I am, world, look at me!". I don't think it is...I hope to offer my friends a glimpse into the warped workings of my mind. I hope to help others learn from my failures and successes. I hope to remind myself of what I love and am grateful for. I hope to express more clearly my desires, needs, and gratitudes. I hope to communicate. I hope to inspire. In short, I hope.