I’ve been a bad blogger and I’m loving it.
Have you ever read
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach? It was the first book I ever bought to my husband as a gift and it is a book I re-read every now often to remind me to have strength to do things in a way that I in my heart believe are the right thing to do, even if the “flock” might think otherwise. The book is about a seagull who learns to fly like no other seagull, and it is very metaphoric, but a book I recommend for anyone to read.
Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight–how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.
This past week I have seen so many friends, stopped what I’ve been doing, and just talked and talked about life, family, well, work too. I have to admit, I have been a bad friend for my friends this past year, I have been diving so deeply into the blogging, working, consulting… everything and not spending enough time with my friends. Even though, I have cut back on tweeting a lot – even when I go to places and meet twitter-friends, I rarely tweet anymore. I want to
be in the moment, and not tweet the moment. The past week I have been blogging less and spending much more time with friends.
What he had once hoped for the Flock, he now gained for himself alone; he learned to fly, and was not sorry for the price that he had paid.
I feel like a slacker blogger, but at the same time I am proud of myself. I may not be a “perfect blogger” and get content up with a clock on my other hand, but I don’t care. I write this for you and me to connect and hopefully I can inspire you to live life to the fullest – even if it means that sometimes you can see that I walk the walk – and take a week off blogging (or say no to hosting giveaways, or say no to being a “spokesperson” or say no for a trip, or any other “blogging-thing”) to do other things…
I suggest you try it too – be a “bad blogger” and take some time off if you feel like it.
The trick – – was for Jonathan to stop seeing himself as trapped inside a limited body that had a forty-two-inch wingspan and performance that could be plotted on a chat. The trick was to know that his true nature lived, as perfect as an unwritten number, everywhere at once across space and time.
Same goes with everything in your life – go ahead, be a bad cleaning lady, bad cook, bad taxi driver – and leave the house dirty once, get the take out or skip one softball game to do something else you enjoy. I know that while I am being a “bad blogger” I am being a better friend and a better mom. There are always these two sides of the coin, don’t focus on the thing you are lacking now, focus on things you are doing right right now, and give yourself a nice pat on the back “well done”.
Katja, you’ve been a bad blogger past week, but damn you’ve been a nice friend and a good mama. See how easy it is?
And the thing is… sometimes when you go against the flock (whether the “
flock” is people, things or general perceptions), you will see things more clearly. You will see your true passions, and sometimes also your true “flock”. Sometimes it makes you run back to your flock begging for forgiveness for going against the flock, sometimes it makes you feel empowered you didn’t let your flock to turn your passion for flying for passion food, like in the
Bach’s book. My “true flock” – enjoying life and inspiring others to do it too.
Jonathan inspires me, and while it may seem the weirdest thing, that a seagull story can inspire and teach me, think of it this way – if a seagull can inspire and teach me – anything can inspire you. Find what inspires you to find your passion, your
flock and go ahead, spread your wings and fly.
Happy landings.
