Reading blogs has become one of my favourite things to do. Seriously. I never thought for one second that I would enjoy reading someone else’s opinion on anything, as it really does bore me. But after having started my own blog, I have realised just how fascinating it is to read about someone you don’t even know.
I realise that no one will be reading my blog and I really could not care less about that. Don’t get me wrong, if someone read it, enjoyed it and kept coming back to read about me and my life, well then that is great (and THANKS !!) But if no one reads it then that’s OK too.
I have always been a big diary writer. I am so moody and fucked up emotionally that it is an interesting exercise to keep a journal of what I have been up to, how I’m feeling, who I have had sex with or what current drama is taking up most of my energy. So to me a blog is essentially an online journal that other people whom I have never met can read, and also I can always revisit what particular thing was irking me that day.
My husband has always been an avid forum person – he belongs to forums ad on some he is even a moderator (whatever the hell that is). I would always be totally amazed at how caught up he and a particular friend of ours (who belonged to all the same forums that my hubby did/does) would get over some particular persons rant on a forum or message board. My favourite saying then was “Gee boys, let it go, its just a forum”. But after having started my blog and also after having been turned on to reading other peoples blogs, I understand now how involved a person can get.
I was reading an article on a family that took in an Asian boy that their son had literally found in a park. Lovely Samoan had taken in this boy and for 3 weeks had cared for him as if he was their own blood.
I don’t find this unusual as being a Maori and a mother, I understand how you can just invite people into your home and help them feel loved. I mean I just want to mother everyone – seriously. We have homestay students primarily for the monetary side of it but also from the point of view of helping someone who is far away from home feel like they have a new family here in NZ.
So imagine my absolute disgust when you get some nasty people making disparaging comments about the family and the Asian boy. It actually made me really mad! I was bought up with the mantra, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. So why do people feel the need to be so disrespectful?
I agree that people are allowed to have their opinions and that is a great freedom we have here in NZ, being able to say what we think and not being reprimanded because of it. But unfortunately with the Internet people have discovered they can say what they want without any repercussion. I mean you wouldn’t walk up to someone in the street and say “hey you’re a fat ugly pig” without expecting some retaliation, and because it is just not polite, but online people can say that and much, much worse and get away with it. It just doesn’t seem right.
Very similar.