Higher Ground

When I first started writing this blog 3 years ago, a friend said it would be a kind of journal.  And the first few posts were about a trip out west for work - what it was like to work underground in a mine.  Since then my posts have more often been about general thoughts at the moment; sometimes specific to events, sometimes not.
Mindful that it is my public face, I've tried to be careful while sometimes venting about issues that concern me.  Sometimes people close to me were well aware and grew concerned about the tone.  I'm glad they noticed and value their insights.
I check the stats on this blog and am often surprised to see someone read a post from long ago.  My first thought is 'uh oh, what was that post about'?.  In re-reading it, there's no cause for alarm.  While it may not speak of a certain event, it does act as a journal for me and jogs the memory of events happening that inspired the writing.
I've tried keeping personal journals at times in my life.  Re-reading them much later, I hated what I had written.  They were too raw and emotionally charged.  With time and perspective, my views about events softened or changed entirely.  I burned most of them.
Blogging works much better for me.  I'm mindful that whatever I write could be seen by anyone.  It still serves as a sort of journal, but it keeps me on higher ground.  It's the higher ground I want to apply to all parts of my life.  I want my thoughts, actions and words to always be mindful that they could be known by anyone and I would not regret them.
The measure is not what everyone else thinks but rather that I will still agree with myself in what I thought, acted on and said as years pass and I gain greater understanding and perspective.

Blogging on

I've enjoyed blogging for 3 years now.  I'm amazed that pageviews come from all over the world and I seem to have more of a following now in Russia than in the US.  When I notice people are viewing pages I wrote long ago, I quickly look to see what I wrote.  At first I was concerned that maybe I wrote thoughts then that I don't necessarily think pertinent today but that has not been the case.
When I started the blog, a friend said it would be a sort of journal.  It is interesting to go back and realize what was going on in my life at the times I wrote about certain things.  I've shared thoughts on a wide range of topics.  I also realize I've planned to write more about some things and then never did.  I guess those things show I am rather eclectic and I have a short attention span.
I'm happy to hear from people saying they enjoy reading my blogs but I've mostly done it for myself.  I cannot always say what is on my mind but I seem to be able to write it out.  I just like to write.  I would encourage you to write for yourself - if not a blog, a journal of some sort.  Look back from time to time and see where you've been and how far you have come.  Hopefully you can smile at yourself.
To those of you - wherever you are in the world - that keep reading my random thoughts - Thank you and I hope they make you smile.