Taking Stock

Last Sunday August 1., two years ago I created my first blog SUENOSDEUOMI  and one year ago I switched to UOMIS, this venue because of tech problems. So now I am one week in to my 3. year of my blogging adventure. A good time to pause and take stock.

My older blog garnered 1648 visitors from 68 countries to date, if I trust that flag counter. This site counts 1045 visitors from 47 countries with 3855 page views.

What does it all mean? That I am not quiet as invisible as I feel? A few told me in person that they enjoy reading my blog. But feedback, much less a discussion is rare, almost non existent. My post on the tragic demise of Chris Rose was an exception and garnered views and comments as I had linked it to our local paper's article and my flickr account. I still think of Chris Rose, every time I pass the roses outside the church of Our Lady Guadalupe. I vividly remember watching Chris stealing a rose and me reprehending him and the exchange that ensued and then later on the plaza how he presented the flower to the lady of his choice.

So are my posts simply too boring to warrant a response? One anonymous feedback said something to this effect. Why bother to write or read a blog?

For me I like for one the challenge of formulating a thought or more often an experience. I liked that even as a kid in school having to write essays. I was a vorascious  reader and would bring stacks of books home from the libraries. I would read while walking to school, or under the bed covers when I was supposed to be sleeping. For a while I resented everybody that attempted to bring my focus back to  the mundane world. No, don't ask me to leave my book and go on errands!

Because I grew up speaking Swiss German, (proper) High German was the language used to read and write, the English/American language, my fifth, has challenges all of it's own for me. I have extensive training in German and French, but only several semesters in the English language. Most I picked up by listening to foreigners and pop songs at first, and later by needing to communicate with  a host of internationals while living in Amsterdam. The very first book written in English that I attempted to read was Fritz Perl's In and Out of the Garbage Pail. A presentation of a then new form of psychotherapy, Gestalt Therapy, by the creator himself. I believe I intuited a lot of the ideas rather correctly, after all Perls was born in Berlin, was germanic. It was the early seventies, centers for the Human Potential Movement like Esalen held a lot of fascination, certainly for me.

Gestalt "Prayer" (may have become my credo)

I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.

That sums up my feelings about my blogging pretty well
- for now.

May be continued ...

You may notice that I added a section that lists the blogs I follow. I am on the look out for blogs of interest to me. I find it rather odd how difficult they seem to find. Your suggestions will be welcome.