For weeks now, this website has sat idle and inactive. I have been stuck in a dilemma as to where I take a website that, in very real terms, causes me more problems than it does pleasure. I find myself struggling with ideas to write about in a world where social media allows people to form immediate opinions. The type of self-reflection and philosophical thinking that my blog is dedicated to is less appealing than it used to people and my opinions are no more valid or important than any other individual on the internet.
It is, in part, a major benefit of the development of an internet democracy that no single voice is more important than another. The problem with that is, in the age of digital social media, those who shout loudest are often the most visible. We educate our children in a traditional format, one that teaches that the informed and reasonable argument will be victorious over the loudest voices. On the internet, the opposite is true. We have seen, in the Age of Trump, that the voices of racism and far-right ideology are given a platform to promote hate. Whilst we try to drown out their voices with a positive message of hope and love, recent events have shown that we appear to be losing that battle.
People are becoming trapped and lured in by an ideology of hatred. Their dissatisfaction with their place in the world, their misguided view of the world and a sense of belonging in a hate-fuelled community has allowed them to express themselves in violent and dangerous ways. I have no interest in giving these types of events any greater media coverage than they perhaps deserve but, in witnessing this type of event, it has afforded me the opportunity to decide the direction of this blog.
I spoke with a friend recently when we discussed the subject of death. It was mentioned that my friend might like to leave letters to loved ones, to say things that might not have been said in life and to serve as a reminder of the relationship. It is a poetic and beautiful way to try and make death a more positive experience. The concept made me think: what if we applied the notion of ‘letter-writing’ to more abstract concepts, for example, our emotions?
And that’s where this blog is going. It is now going to be a series of letters to my emotions, expressing to them exactly why I think of their presence in my life. It will remain the reflective and considered style that I believe best suits my personality but will be more self-critical. I will begin with a subject which is, at present, close to my heart and mind – grief. It is something which, at some point in our lives, grabs all of us by the neck and drags us through the forest of its creation. When we exit, we become different people and I want to tap into that. How frequent these abstract letters will be is very much dependent on the fluidity of my emotions.
For now, however, we will begin this week with a reflection of grief. I will write to grief as if it were a person, someone who had waltzed into my life unwelcome and made their presence felt. Look forward to that. It will be with you shortly.
Writeriori 