Sunday, November 23, 2008

Voyeurs and Exhibitionists (my Town)

Blurry image of a photographer, the subject is blurrily reflected in the lens
Dear Gentle Reader,

I think that writing a blog is an exhibitionist phenomena.

"Look at me" we proclaim.

Here is my story! See my pictures! Link to me! Love me! Leave me a note...

...

Of course I also think that reading blogs is a complementary, voyeuristic counterpart to the exhibitionism of writing them.

For those that are keen on Travis' "my town Mondays" I have viewed my town in a different way.

I wish I were viewing "my town" in a William Gibson cyperpunk way, but I am only viewing "my town" in a post-modern e-way. However, for someone who writes in e-cuneiform, an e-way seems OK.

My town is the world, because anyone who can read this is connected to me, even if briefly and unwillingly, and here is a look into some of the windows in the world that I peep into.

The shots might lack focus or context. The foreground or background might be missing. But, you get to see into someone else's world and what they consider important enough to share. There is even a boudoir in the list...

A very few porthole portals follow:

An apparently ended photographic conversation between Mr. P & Mr. D

Two entries from Junosmom (the first is an excellent reason to blog and the second is about cicadas, which I read about as a kid, and loved when I lived in Japan, but I had never known about the damage they do to plants as they aim their crèches for the ground (or the damage said crèches can do to horses who are one clown short of a circus, but that was a different post)

Bea, Norway's preeminent monster-maker/tamer

Karen writes on Frida Kahlo and an exhibition

PicaMiel has a slew of fantastic blogs (she must also have a time-tuner to write them all, here are samples from only two.)

Simmers lets us peer into his visit with his nieces (and I don't know who is luckier, the nieces or their uncle)

an expository commentary on revealing character by Paul

OxyJen, geeking on some crystals she found

MTM Travis remembers his younger, athletic, mobile ankle days

Audrey, allowing us into her boudoir, also allows us to remember the joy of discovering somewhere new


Cloudia suggests we look at the joy in our now

While Tifighter relates having a tough time keeping up with the now

and Steady-as-rain stops me cold with

Heck, the response by lyzzedee found in the comments section of one of the entries of my blog is fun to read, and imagine, and I think it is a microblog in and of itself... (ps its the second comment by lyzzedee, you have to scroll down...)

I could provide far more examples, but I doubt that people will even click on a quarter of these. But that is OK, although you are missing some good stuff...

Tschuess,
Chris

7 comments:

Junosmom said...

Dear Chris,
Thank you for the links. I will come back and look at your recommended reading list. I must go off to commitments this morning. Well, all day actually. You are right though, it is both voyeuristic and exhibitionist at the same time. And as you linked to my early blog, it is also like keeping a journal or record of a life. Interesting thing for me to think about.
BTW, you can "microblog" (I like that term) on my blog anytime.

Junosmom said...

Oh, I also meant to thank you for the links to my blog! Come read me! Pay attention to me! Just kidding.

debra said...

Wow, you are the reallyearly edition of MTM (at least here in NE Ohio). My posts (2 this week) won't be up until later. And I will be back later to read your links.

Virginia Lady said...

Gee, thanks for the links, now I'm adding even more blogs to my list. :-)

Love the crystal geeking at OxyJen! Too awesome.

Travis Erwin said...

Thanks for the link and I will check out the blogs I am not familiar with as I get a chance.

Lyzzydee said...

Blogs are funny things, I like to think that its a way of keeping my friends informed of what I am up to, why i think they are in the slightest bit interested I really don't know!!! (Still it is as good a reason as any!!)
What I really like is the fact that like you the whole world is my oyster, I get a kick knowing a little of me is all over the world!!

jjdebenedictis said...

Thanks for the link, Chris! (I already had someone drop by via your blog and leave a comment on mine.)