Blogging, Take 2--or, The Dangers of Blogging

After a year-long sabbatical, I have returned to the world of blogging. My previous dalliance with a blog was brief, and devastating---it nearly destroyed several relationships that are very important to me, and to some degree the damage is not totally restored.

Last year, someone read my blog and took something I said completely out of context. Instead of contacting ME to clarify my position, said person called other people and perpetuated the misunderstanding, which soon grew to gargantuan proportions!

Without going into further detail, let's just say that a Big Mess ensued, and feelings were hurt, and Stuff Happened that cannot be undone. Several of those involved never actually READ the offending blog post, they merely leapt into the fray and passed judgment and then unsolicited advice my way.....and it surely didn't help that when this all went down, I was about 38 weeks pregnant, and more than a little sensitive!!!

I learned some things through that experience last year. I learned that you cannot take relationships for granted, big or small. The people involved in that brouhaha last August were Important People dearly loved by me! That's what made it so painful to go through. I ranted, I raved, I cried, I threatened to never blog again.....but as time went on, I realized that we cannot hide from the world when we have been hurt. The world is full of hurt (and hurtING!) people, and we need to use our hurts to spread compassion and empathy, reaching out to those around us.

Because of my hurts and the painful experiences through which I have lived (and believe me, some of them are MUCH WORSE than a misunderstood blog post!!), I am qualified to reach out to others in the same place of pain. A very wise and much-respected father in the faith once said to me, "You are not disqualified because of the things you have been through! You are more qualified than ever!". That statement was FREEDOM for me!

So, here I am, blogging again. Admittedly, I may be a bit more careful what sorts of things I say here, but probably only for awhile. I still stand on my original belief that those who know me well enough to read my blog ought to know me well enough to understand my intents----or at least well enough to ask me if something I say causes confusion!