What is it about nice people that attract total idiots?Nice people are martyrs. Idiots are evangelists.

SOCK IT TO ME BABY!!!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A thousand reasons







A lone man looking for means of expression in a tsunami of information. Seeking

truth justice and the American way in the perspective of a Nixon conservative.

And the Commissioner of the free world's smallest and best fantasy football

league.
That was the first thing I came up with for my blog when I put the first designs together almost 1200 days ago. A mission statement, if you will, of my newly-christened blog, Tilting At Windmills. Between the name and this statement, you can see what it was intended for at the start.


First, it was my voice in the crowd. A place to have my hearing in a world where my government, my family, even my church wasn't neccessarily listening. A permanent electronic record of a man who one day would just be a stone with a date on it who nobody remembered. And unlike my previous "fifteen minutes of fame" moments, someone might actually know who I was afterwards.



Second, it was to be my soapbox. For someone as inhibited socially as I can be, and for someone who'd rather debate in the written word than face to face, it was a perfect place to voice my opinions without stumbling over my tongue or having to feel the hot flushes of self-consciousness. I could say more perfectly what I met, and not have my insecurities keep me from doing so.

Third, it was going to let people know how I felt, and what I named myself. In a world where most people who had similar views as me were being hit with PC nonsense, I could be true to what I believed and the hell with the rest. (In fact, the "PC be hanged" in the banner was at first going to be "PC be damned", but I decided it might take some of the "family show" air out of the tires. My first compromise, just to be polite to the newbies.)

Fourth, it was going to reflect the things I loved- God, history told truly, sports. And beyond that, I really didn't know where it was going to go.

Finally, it was going to be about fighting for honour, even if I was the only one who saw the battle. Even if all the odds were against me. And as such, it was going to be an exercise in boosting my self-esteem. Letting me be a hero, if a humble one, one who recognized that his "glittering armor" and "sharp, two-edged sword" were made of tinfoil and broomsticks.





But there were a lot of things I didn't know it would be about, and many of them are the reasons why anybody reads this thing even now, and are the things that have meant the most to me.

One of those was entertainment. When I look at how stiff some of my earliest posts are, I feel like I was writing them in suit and tie (which I assure you was not the case). Some things I tried to treat too reverently at first; but most of you know I've gotten over that. Even in the most serious of posts- for example, the Sunday Message series- I inject a bit of snark, because God knows I'm a smartass, and deals with me as such. (And believe me, God is way funnier than I am!) But not just the smart stuff. I enjoy how I've grown Time Machine from a dry recitation of what was on the charts in a certain week to an entertainment program that takes a lot of time and work to bring you. It is the one thing I do that I really wouldn't mind making a living at. I challenge myself to tell you about some day's minor disaster at work in a way that will get you laughing far quicker than the actual events get me to.

Learning how to do things on the computer also came with the package. I've had to teach myself posting pictures, formatting tables, using Paint, downloading videos, and other fun things, both to improve the "product" and to get around the occasional roadblocks that using a large, impersonal format like Blogger entails.

The debates have helped me grow as a person as well. Whether it be the once-constant battle with atheists (which I have trimmed by cutting down on allowing myself to be baited), the rather strenuous conversation with Delaney Bramlet's former agent over who wrote Superstar (in which he accused me of deleting a comment because he forgot which post he commented to), or the battles of wits with half armed trolls (such as the dust-up with "John Rambo" AKA Peter Allen Nolan, the he-man woman hater), such conversations have helped in many ways. Not the least of which were knowing which battles are worth fighting, when to abandon civility and just let both barrels fly, and honing my ability, atrophied since my divorce, to win arguments even when the other person doesn't realize they've lost.

But those are the things that came from me. Much more valuable are the things that have came from you. My shell really opened up when I got invited to a few "blog parties" (remember them?) and met new people, many of them who led me to even more. People who didn't neccessarily agree with me. People who had different interests. People from Malaysia, Canada, Australia, the UK, and people from my own home town. People who have shared their convictions, have shared prayers and comforts, people who have given of themselves. The great postcard campaign. Several beer caps. Artwork that proudly hangs just feet away. People who became more than blogs- they became FRIENDS.

The babies who I've watched grow up on their family's blogs. Morgan, Nora, Aubrey. Children growing into young adulthood like Skippy's Wallene, Juli's Oldest, Youngest, and Bonus Brother. Momto8 and Fourth Frog's clans. Mynx's boys and Miss S.  My Nephew Andy's kids. Bouncing Barb's grandkids. It really becomes an extended family, in which your heart swells with their accomplishments and falls with their hurts, their break-ups, their illnesses. Like being a parent all over again without the diapers, or a grandparent for the first time without babysitting duties.

The ministry it has allowed me. To take what I learn from God and pass it on. To plant a seed, be an encouragement. Sure, that is God giving to you through me, but if it touches you, effects your heart, turns your mind, that is gold to me as well. You give me that when it causes you to turn to God and say, "Yeah..."




So why do I blog?  Funny how it grew from self-glorification into a tree with branches named sharing, caring, learning, laughing, crying, hoping, and dreaming.  Those branches bore a fruit I would have never guessed tasted so sweet.  And in a way, I suppose, it makes me more than just that name on the cold stone.

And, it gives me a place to put the fantasy football stats where I won't lose them. ;)

17 comments:

  1. CWM:
    Congratulations on you MILESTONE!
    (which can become a millstone if allowed...lol)

    The doors we open with our OWN lives as a result of our blogging are numerous, and part of the "adventure" is permitting ourselves the chance to walk THROUGH a few of them.

    Some would dismiss all this as some form of "mutual admiration society", and they would be SO wrong.
    It's more about viewing life through the eyes of others, and finding out what YOU might have been missing.
    It's a learning experience, a teaching experience, and many times a mirror to our own being, when we shy from the one in our house.

    It would seem we are both being of a philosophical mind today...
    Nothing wrong with that ONE bit.

    Again, thanks for the time we are allowed to enjoy here at your blog.
    It's time well spent for me.

    Now...for your NEXT 1000 posts....(lol)

    Stay safe up there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Some would dismiss all this as some form of "mutual admiration society", and they would be SO wrong.
      It's more about viewing life through the eyes of others, and finding out what YOU might have been missing."

      How perfectly put.

      Delete
  2. Congratulations!! Your posts have been a source of information, encouragement, laughter and an occasional crunched toe session in my life. So look forward to the next 1,000.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But buy some steel toed shoes for when you read...

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  3. And I am so glad you blog. Where else am I going to get non-PC information, Sunday messages, and travels back in musical nostalgia?
    By the way, nice picture. I can see up your nose.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So well said. :) I think the reasons we all started have nothing to do with the reasons we stay.

    Happy 1,000. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congratulation on 1000 posts. That is so very awesome.
    I love coming to visit you here. I love your variety of posts and especially the little peaks into your day when you take Scrappy walking.

    Looking forward to many many more rambles
    Hugs and smiles

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, you guys really give Scrappy a big head. He enjoys being world famous.

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  6. Wow, what a milestone. We're not even half way there. But it's exactly like you said. In our case, we first set out to blog just to promote ourselves, but in the process we found so many people we care about. So many people that I now regularly contact by e-mail, or Facebook, or text message, just to see how they're doing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too. It can really change how you see your life- and the lives of the anonymous around you.

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  7. Congrats! I have enjoyed your blog for a long time now. I feel as though you are one of my own. I especially love your walks with Mr Scrappy. I am so glad to know you Chris.

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  8. Aw heck, I keep you around because for the simple fact you make me laugh. I have had some pretty dreary days this past few and it never fails as I am trying to get a bit of my Skippy on I see a comment from you and I start laughing even I open it.

    I can't even remember how we met, but I sure am glad we did, because I love so many things about your blog and by extension, of course, you. The time machine is always a great read and a share with Pooldad and your Sunday postings teach me so much of what I have yet to learn. I would love to be able to post as eloquently as you do on such an important subject but if I tried it would probably come out looking like "God. He's cool." giggle So I leave it to the wonderfulness that is you.

    You're the best and I can't wait for the next one thousand, if only to read your responses [like the one to Al above] to your friends in comments. Brilliant.

    As ms nk rey said, I am so glad to know you Chris. We all are here in the pond. Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Besides - who would you have to leave lo-o-o-ng comments with a bazillion typos, left out words and comma abuse, if not for me.

    How am I doing so far? OMGoodness I just reread the above comment and if you can make sense of it [haven't even taken my meds yet today. wait. maybe that is the problem?] Anyway - if YOU can make sense of it then it will explain completely why we are such good pals.

    Good luck! ::laughing::

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow. I guess I could about sum up the whole post with "Skippy".

      Yes I understood your post perfectly, as always. Believe me, I have a son that combined the first and last names of his favorite player on his favorite team Sunday and turned "Asdrubal Cabrera" into "Cadrubal". Moments later, he turned "Zack Cozart" into "Zack Coastguard". You really think I'd have problems with what you type?

      The whole thing is you have a weakness for smartasses. And I'm a pro. My sister taught me from the cradle. Snark got me this far in life.

      And really, Al and I ought to do a combined post someday. He's a lotta fun to play off of- just ask Juli about soap nuts.

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