12.29.07
changed blogging habits
I am a changed¹ blogger.
My writing style just isn’t what it used to be. It seems to be related to my attitude-shift towards greater efficiency with words. Probably an evidence of this is my renewed interest in poetry: one of my favourite parts was squeezing every single word dry.
Looking back, there was a tendency in academia to reward a multiplicity of words – so long as you said something with them, you got away with having as many as you liked, whereas a short-but-ingenious attempt was unlikely to get the credit it deserved. Survival strategy therefore involved one beady eye on the word-counter.
So, to blogging… I’ve got good at havering over every single last related tangent of a discussion, but even I no longer relish it like I used to. I never consciously changed my style to fit my new readership at work, but I can see my style becoming more streamlined as I become increasingly trained as a corporate cog.
I guess this is a good thing.
There’s kindof only a slight nostalgic twinge looking back at my old favourite “scrollable” posts”.
At least… I was *aiming* to be shorter! :-O *looks with dismay at the scrollbar*
¹ok, ok… Before you ask, this isn’t some feeble attempt at an excuse for my laxness recently – ‘cos there isn’t one. I’m just rubbish! (its what I do best 
)
12.27.07
an amazing person
A ponderable description:
Life for most people is governed by authority and convention, but behind these there lies always the mystery of human nature, uncertain and elusive, and apt now and again to go off at a tangent and disturb the smooth working of organised routine. Some man or woman will appear who departs from the normal order of procedure, who follows ideals rather than rules, and whose methods are irregular, and often, in the eyes of onlookers, unwise. They may be poor or frail, and in their own estimation of no account, yet it is often they who are used for the accomplishment of important ends. Such a one was Mary Slessor
From the Prefaratory Note to “Mary Slessor” ISBN: 0916441-490
belated birthday
There was a mask – I didn’t have the heart to tell her it didn’t fit – hand-knitted “grandmothers dishcloth”, and a set of pet hippos to keep me company.
And a demo of the pic I mentioned earlier.
12.26.07
proof of love
While everyone is busy enjoying gifts (me included!), it is uplifting to think of one of the most precious gifts we can give to people we love: forgiveness.
To forgive a friend for something they’ve done wrong is quite special. It is easy to love someone who helps you; it is harder to love when someone has hurt you.
The quote my dear wee sis supplied encapsulates a similar idea quite well:
Loyalty is rare. It can only be proven under test.
Alfred Armand Montapert
The test of loyalty is how ready we are to forgive the wrongs, and continue to trust.
Sometimes I find the hardest part of forgiveness is being able to forgive without neccessarily acquiescing with something done wrong. e.g. swearing is offensive to me, but my ‘forgiveness’ is often invisible when people are so oblivious of it nowadays.
Not that forgiveness needs to be seen in order to matter, but silence can be taken as a lack of complaint, or worse, a license to continue the offence. And then, positive criticism is hard to give. Not that that would justify us in holding grudges instead of forgiving, but it can be a tricky balance to keep right!
But so very worth getting right There’s little as precious as friends you can rely on, even when you make mistakes. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. ” [Ephesians 4:32]
Then, lest we should lose sight of the most miraculous forgiveness of all: God offering to forgive us for *everything* we do wrong:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [1 John 1:9]
Finally, a little ponderment:
Can we ever truly forgive someone who we do not first love?
12.23.07
catch up with me
Yes, I’ve been awful…! I’m sorry… After being real-life prodded yet again, I’ve been forced to admit it’s about time I again said a virtual “hello” 
So, the deal at the moment:
After a blissfully uneventful four hours in the bus home last night, I’m back with that lovely set of people I call my family. Happily illustrated by the sweetest birthday present from my wee-est sis: a picture saying “Sisters by chance, friends by choice”.
Today we got ourselves all psyched up for the 90th birthday party of my first babysitter. She’s loosing her memory really bad 
but so adorably friendly as always. And her daughter gave us a real decent feast!
Then next priority was the standard hour of frustration getting wireless working again – finding out the next set of new settings. But I am now online , so I have no more excuses not to catch up on my blogging.
Oh yes… and I got some random letter to greet me on arrival. Still over-analysing processing that one!
But nearly bedtime… I’ll be back, all being well!
~ xx ~
