MommaK posted this today and of course I had to stop by for the celebration. The author discusses how much personal journalism has grown in the past year due to the weblog. That got me to thinking about stuff. Hmmm.

There's an entire language based on the weblog phenomenon, much of which I still haven't learned. I had heard of "trolls" before, but had not witnessed one in action until I paid a visit to Catawampus and got a load of this . I guess some folks don't have enough to do so they cruise around criticizing other people's viewpoints and lifestyles. Ashley the troll sounds like a grade A lunatic who needs some serious therapy and an ass whoopin'. I've got a feeling Kim would give her one in a heartbeat :)

Other words that come to mind are post, internet PIECE ( just for you OHS ), linkage, and blogroll just to name a few. I've looked on as several bloggers fought what they felt was an "addiction" to it and faithfully promised to post no more yet ended up on the keyboard the very next day. I'm a firm believer in never say never, ya know? I see nothing wrong with spending my free time reading and writing as I see fit. I don't see it as an addiction, but a creative outlet.

HOWEVER...there is one drawback. For me, anyway. The other night I had ,ummmm, shall we say a nuclear meltdown in the emotions department. Again, no details but I will say that I was hysterical in a sobbing kind of way that I haven't known in a long long time. What I really needed was to be held while I sobbed, but I was alone with the dog and her arms are too little to be of much help. I called my boss to let her know I was temporarily insane and couldn't come to work the next day, and she graciously offered to come just sit with me until it passed. I called an old friend that I haven't spoken to in 3 years but who, for a six month period after my divorce, was my lifeline. Also gracious, he didn't have a clue where I was coming from because he doesn't know who I am anymore. I wanted to be, more than anything, understood.

My point is this. Our deepest fears and innermost feelings are revealed here day in and day out in such a way that we actually know each other better than we know many of the people in our "real" lives....in fact we actually dissect our REAL lives here and read about those of others. WE empathize and comfort and share as if in one huge group therapy session of I'm OK...You're OK. But it's all after the fact. When the world closes in on you and you feel like jumping ship, nothing can take the place of a real live person holding your hand and telling you they love you.

I hope someday to hold the hand of everyone of you that I've met here and tell you how very much you mean to me and how much you've helped me to keep the faith. ^j^