She's currently in Africa for World Vision, last year she went to the US for Blogher and then to Thailand - all expenses paid trips to talk about what she does and why she does it - 'it' being blogging.
The qualities I do envy are her ability to be so natural, rude, earthy and downright honest. She's not afraid to let it all hang out. I know that I can never be that 'out there'. She has a heart of gold and she cares so much about those who need it most. Yet her life has been dark and she has so many skeletons in her past that she probably needs a room to store them all in and not just a cupboard.
Her brutal honesty and lack of confidence in herself makes her both shocking and endearing at the same time. She gets people; from the down and out hobos and drunks in the street, to the no-hopers and addicts. She's lived a hard life and that's what makes her who she is - yet no person would ever willingly choose to have those experiences.
We all have our own individual reasons for blogging, our own version of ourselves that we share with our readers. For some; it's purely a release, some choose to make a living from it, some use it to try and make a difference.
My blogging has always been about having a voice, about releasing the maelestrom of swirling thoughts (and lots of rubbish) that fills my head. It's about giving the writer in me an outlet. I've never considered it as a way to make a difference, I never thought I could. How limiting can our thoughts be when we give them free rein?
Every day I discover more about me and more about those around me. I see qualities I respect and admire and others which make me cringe in horror which shake me up and make me realise I don't want to be like that - ever.
So I guess my aim is to provide a reminder that we all need to be more real, be more honest and be our best selves - because after all we are who we are. (Try and say that last bit quickly)
Cheers, Fi
Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are ~ Julius Charles Hare
It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not ~ Andre Gide
Awesome post Fi. It is always hard to be 150% who you are in the real world because sometimes I have found when you are, you get some critics. I know I shouldnt care and most of the time I don't but it has made me a little bit jaded. I have a post partly written about being jaded by people online, who read blogs, comments on blogs, etc. As you know I have had my fair share of critics. World Vision such an awesome cause. I am going to go check out her blog. Thanks for keeping it real. It is rare quality around here.
ReplyDeleteJenn the saddest thing is that there's always critics. I guess I'm learning that as long as you stay true to your own beliefs then you can at least be comfortable in your own skin.
DeleteTrying to keep everyone else happy is just too damn hard and not always possible. Here's to you and I keeping it real :-)