The Biblio Blogazine

That All Too Familiar Paved Road

I guess in everything we undertake, we possess some sense of accountability. If not to others, then to ourselves.

November of this year was my two year blogiversary. Since then, I’ve contemplated quitting. Several times.

Why? Loss of focus, motivation, and understanding.

The last point is where I’ll start first.

Keeping Up Is Hard To Do

I thought I knew what I wanted when I began in 2007. As I grew in knowledge and found others who enjoyed similar interests and pursuits, I found that what I wanted to accomplish morphed into something nearly 180 degrees from where I started.

I liked what other, more experienced bloggers were doing, and I wanted the same, if not better.

I was fine with that.

Until social networking, and the apparent need for it, became something that was taking up all of my time, and where I was spending most of my efforts.

Talk about a quick burn out. Between monitoring TweetDeck, my Google Reader, and Google Alerts, I soon found myself drifting away from blogging. I was watching, reading, tweeting, trying to keep up with others and stay ‘visible’. But I was hardly doing that which brought me to this place in the beginning: blogging about books and literary issues.

It was during this mess of “trying to keep up with the Joneses” I lost focus and subsequently my motivation.

Not reading mind you. Never. It is part of my genetic make-up to love books and what they have to offer.

My struggle has been with sharing this love, this vocation, with others through the medium of the internet.

To Thine Own Self Be True

I recently realized that trying to keep up with it all is an empty illusion and a waste of resources. At least in the extremes it has become. No amount of time I spend on Twitter, Google, or Facebook is going to make or break my blog.

Only its author has that ability. It is through dedication or neglect that any good or bad happens.

I am now reworking my dedication to this blog, and how I wish to develop and promote it; if it needs any kind of promotion at all.

This is not a revenue generating site and never will be. It may lead to ventures that could produce income, but I made a vow long ago this blog would not be anything more than a hobby.

This is the vision to which I need to remain true. This is, and should be, what keeps me going. Not how many comments I get and from whom. Not how many hits I get a day, a week, or a month.

Books, literacy, and commentary are where my focus should be.

I am working hard on a way to get back there. To stop juggling so much. (I wish I could say I could stop juggling period, but realistically, life doesn’t work that way.) Right now, I just need to get rid of a couple of balls. Or at least minimize their weight so they are more easily handled.

The road to anywhere is paved with good intentions. Somehow I strayed off the path. Now is the time for me to find solid ground again and continue.

I think I’ve mentioned that I take copious notes when I read. However I’ve never been compelled to share them.

Until now.

Seeing as I’ve been having some issues formulating reviews for the numerous books I’ve read recently, I thought I’d at least share with you the method to most of my madness.

From these notes, I derive ideas about what I’ve read and how it affected me. I note what sentences, passages, and chapters stand out long after I have closed the book.

When transferring from paper notes to electronic ones, I find that there are some I feel are not as relevant as they were when I was reading. That loss is made up though by those that prompt me to elaborate and explore and finally come up with what I want to convey in my review.

You will see that by end of the notes I am practically writing an essay. This is good. This is my sign that the author got me to think and reflect, which in my mind tells me I’ve read something worth commenting on – worth sharing.

WARNING: I’ve tried not to provide any spoilers as this book is about a concept as much as it’s the story of a woman who has tried to take her own life. If you absolutely abhor having a plot ruined, you should stop here.

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I love to read a good story. I love the tangibility of a book — its paper, the heft as I lift and open it. However, prior to that, any story I knew and grew to love had been read to me. 

Other than an audio book, when was the last time anyone read to you, or told you a story? How often in your life have you been exposed to a true storyteller?

Storytelling is a form of oral tradition, which dates back centuries and contains within it not only traditional knowledge, but also a method of preserving the heritage of a culture. It is more than an art form. It is an enduring legacy handed down from one generation to the next, and as such, should be preserved and protected. 

This legacy is a database of wisdom, which teaches and conveys morals and values, as well as societal rules and responsibilities. Folklore unites communities because, “. . . the experience of the oral narrative, of telling and listening to stories, has been a vital part of the development of the body of thought and tradition that has formed culture and united diverse peoples.” (Rocio G. Davis)

In Australia, in the Aboriginal culture, storytelling is an essential component of their society. They relate important information about their belief system as well as educate members of the community regarding societal rules and responsibilities. 

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