In the Land of the Lotus Eaters
It is not quite that, O my brothers (just taught Clockwork Orange again). Second Life is not quite like eating the lotus. It has been recreation without purpose or goal, and that has been generally good. Is there a hypnotic component? Yes, as there is to general web surfing and television; while SL generally lacks the rich art of good film, it is certainly more interactive than tv or general web surfing. I'm part of a community there now which has bloody nothing to do with anything intellectual; I spend most of my time sword fighting.
Sl is deeply immersive, in a way I can't describe. For some, it just doesn't work. For others, those of us closer to fantasy moment to moment perhaps, it works very well. The early hypno-immersion is passing, though, and I'm getting more balanced in my use of the Grid as the Wonder dissipates. Frankly, you can do just about anything there...what you can't do yet you will be able to eventually, you just do it through an avatar, a little cartoon you. I've taught Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash before, and I think of that novel often, or did, at least, my first few times in.
I know that I have friends who blog, people I care about whose blogs I have not been reading anymore than I've been writing in my own. This does make me sad, and I hope to 'catch up' someday. The dark side of blog always was, as other bloggers have noted also, that I'd spend an hour or two writing my brains out...digging deep into my life or mind, and get a single comment, or two...for some time now it's felt a little like waiting for a parent to arrive home when I was alone in my room. Waiting. Or like emailing, almost, between myself and Sandalstraps (whose work I miss dearly...I'll trot by and read a bit after this). In short, the effort and return ratio reminded me a bit too much of my childhood. I don't think I'll ever fully quit blog, but it feels good to take a break from a hobby which was more like graduate school than a hobby.
Oh, I still have my questions about the human experience, about my faith in particular, I'm still in EFM (though I miss once a month or so to be with my family) and my mind continues to churn over spiritual questions at a lower chew-rate. Frankly, I'm not going to think my way into closeness with God. At least not solely or primarily. And I want a further spiritual experience than historical inquiry can give me. Taking a blog-break is also about that.
I will say that my son is doing well, my wife also, though school has started for her again and though she is near the end of her graduate program, she and I both feel the pressure. Another reason, incidentally, I've put seminary into the warming drawer, even off the back burner. My job is fine...I underappreciate it all the time. We want to move down the hill a bit, even 15 minutes closer to civilization would help us; we'd be closer to church and the martial arts gym (where I've hardly been...my torn ligament is healing, but slowly...thank God for physical therapy). If so, we won't move until summer. It's a weird market, and I can't predict if or when, but we'd like to. Sure I'd miss the snow...but I also wouldn't miss waking up at 5 to shovel my wife out or driving on steep ice covered roads in the dark. It's been a grand adventure, but it might be time to leave Walden.
You know, it does feel good to write here. I had forgotten.
Peace and love to all. My heart, my heart.
Sl is deeply immersive, in a way I can't describe. For some, it just doesn't work. For others, those of us closer to fantasy moment to moment perhaps, it works very well. The early hypno-immersion is passing, though, and I'm getting more balanced in my use of the Grid as the Wonder dissipates. Frankly, you can do just about anything there...what you can't do yet you will be able to eventually, you just do it through an avatar, a little cartoon you. I've taught Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash before, and I think of that novel often, or did, at least, my first few times in.
I know that I have friends who blog, people I care about whose blogs I have not been reading anymore than I've been writing in my own. This does make me sad, and I hope to 'catch up' someday. The dark side of blog always was, as other bloggers have noted also, that I'd spend an hour or two writing my brains out...digging deep into my life or mind, and get a single comment, or two...for some time now it's felt a little like waiting for a parent to arrive home when I was alone in my room. Waiting. Or like emailing, almost, between myself and Sandalstraps (whose work I miss dearly...I'll trot by and read a bit after this). In short, the effort and return ratio reminded me a bit too much of my childhood. I don't think I'll ever fully quit blog, but it feels good to take a break from a hobby which was more like graduate school than a hobby.
Oh, I still have my questions about the human experience, about my faith in particular, I'm still in EFM (though I miss once a month or so to be with my family) and my mind continues to churn over spiritual questions at a lower chew-rate. Frankly, I'm not going to think my way into closeness with God. At least not solely or primarily. And I want a further spiritual experience than historical inquiry can give me. Taking a blog-break is also about that.
I will say that my son is doing well, my wife also, though school has started for her again and though she is near the end of her graduate program, she and I both feel the pressure. Another reason, incidentally, I've put seminary into the warming drawer, even off the back burner. My job is fine...I underappreciate it all the time. We want to move down the hill a bit, even 15 minutes closer to civilization would help us; we'd be closer to church and the martial arts gym (where I've hardly been...my torn ligament is healing, but slowly...thank God for physical therapy). If so, we won't move until summer. It's a weird market, and I can't predict if or when, but we'd like to. Sure I'd miss the snow...but I also wouldn't miss waking up at 5 to shovel my wife out or driving on steep ice covered roads in the dark. It's been a grand adventure, but it might be time to leave Walden.
You know, it does feel good to write here. I had forgotten.
Peace and love to all. My heart, my heart.
Comments
I've also - as you know - wrestled with the "low return rate" of blogging. But at least it gives me an interface from which to communicate. I like having the opportunity to write, and get at least a little bit of feedback. It isn't quite like an authentic socail community, but it isn't far off.
I wonder, though, what will happen to the blog as school replaces it as the primary place where I work out my theology.
Love to you each, genuine and strong.