Art imitates life imitating art

This was a Four Weddings and a Funeral kind of week.  So much has happened, really a journey through every life event.  There were babies born (twins!), a president was elected, friends got engaged to wed, friends became citizens, others scheduled to graduate, others moving, and another passed away.

This first occurred to me at an end of year celebration, with the choir singing Christmas songs, it felt like the first wedding (Angus and Laura).  Each song and reading, although nice, seemed to last a little longer than expected.  After two hours sitting butt to butt on the church pew, I thought – “oh I should blog about this” – and then I started to tune in and disengage all in the same instant.  It felt sort of like a photographer who watches every move attentively, but only sees through a lens.  As soon as I think about blogging – I become an attentive observer.

Now this brings me back to blogging for research and the worry that I am too close as a participant/observer to be objective.  Now I am not sure.  I think it may be possible to separate myself from this research in the same way the blog separates me from other events.

When I was sitting at the funeral today, I noticed the veil again.  I started thinking about blogging about how people laugh with sadness and at weddings they cry with joy, but funerals aren’t anti-weddings, they are passings and joinings.  People getting together when people leave.  It sort of reminded me of graduations and weddings.  People are always coming and going.

So is it possible to be fully emersed within a blogging community, but still able to objectively observe?

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t

Last night at 2am I could have written 3 or 4 posts, tonight after a big dinner (and a glass of wine) I don’t feel like writing at all.

At the recommendation of one of our university librarians who teaches a course on writing a thesis, I now keep a little notebook with me at all times.  In the middle of the night, I’ll jot down a thought, which I can sometimes even decipher in the morning.  Last night’s note was “Carrie Bradshaw? or Doogie Howser?”  I had big plans for today’s post.  However, those plans have vanished as I curl up with my son to watch Star Wars again (I lost count after 10).

I hope this won’t turn into a recurring theme, because I’d like to think that most days I feel like a (blogging) nut, just today – I don’t (see Almond Joy vs Mounds).  Thank goodness I have my wee notebook for tomorrow, because I am dying to find out whether Carrie or Doogie is nuttier – aren’t you?