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I have a site meter, but I rarely consult it. I have a followers box, but I do not pay a whole lot of attention to it - you see, they come and they go - readers. Once in a while I notice fluctuation in the count. I don't like the idea of followers - no one should follow me - so I ignore it - I'd take it down, but I don't want to offend anyone. I actually do follow some blogs and only recently began registering - normally I have all I can do to get through a post - especially if it happens to be a long one about brushing one's hair or fixing one's make-up - spiritually speaking of course.
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Anyway, as my eyes move down the post I happen to be skimming, I can't help but notice all of the widgets in the sidebar, and sometimes I may notice if that particular blogger links to me or not. Lately I have noticed that certain blogs - mostly the trad type - have dropped me from their links - a couple of neo-con blogs have done so as well. Disassociating themselves from me for one reason or another. I suppose one's reputation may be at stake, although once in awhile I suspect they may be punishing me for something I wrote, or making a critical comment, or finding out I have an opinion that conflicts with one of their prejudices.
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The first blogger who dropped me - that I actually paid attention to I mean - is a priest friend who wrote long comments on my blog posts when I started out blogging - and to think I'm the one who suggested he start his own blog. If I remember correctly, he was miffed that I wrote about a gay priest who happened to be an artist, and whose conduct wasn't very becoming a monastic priest. Some readers may not know this, but at one time I was a vocal critic of gay priests, now I figure it isn't any of my business - especially after they are ordained. A gay blogger across the sea dropped me because of that too - he may be a seminarian right now - I'm not sure. Then of course, many gay people have dropped me because I'm supposedly a homophobe. I'm not scared however.
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It's possible one trad blog dropped me, I'm just assuming here, because I criticized the Remnant and one of their writers, his friend (another blogger) may have dropped me because I laughed at him and said he was "very young" - implying some maturation would help his rigidity. Today I noted one of my favorite blogs dropped me and I can only wonder if it is because I actually like English in the liturgy? Now I realize many people think I'm eccentric, but I promise you, a couple of these people are just as nuts - look at their profile photos - what's with the pipe? And you still live at home? Get over your self.
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I have had holier than thou, pompous acquaintances since I returned to the Church in 1972. People come and go - and I'm usually better off when they go, albeit I occasionally miss the laughs. Kidding. But seriously, I don't want to belong to anybody's argument of the moment club or catholic offensive league.
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"By God's grace, I am what I am." - 1Corinthians 15: 1-11 - Today's Second Reading at Mass
28 comments:
We always come back.
You are not eccentric. Crazy as a bed bug - ok - but not eccentric.
We must talk...Really!
Oh - I do check my sitemeter to see who may have been linking to me so I may acknowledge it and say thanks. It's the polite thing to do...
"...I don't want to belong to anybody's argument of the moment club or catholic offensive league."
Me neither.
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+JMJ+
The last time I "dropped" a 'blogger from my own list was when she deleted some comments I left on her site and then went on to republish the relevant posts under different dates. (I suppose doing that means even the Google cache is deleted? But what do I know?)
I was quite confused because: a) she moderates comments and could have just deleted my comments after reading them; b) after publishing them, she publicly responded to me; and c) I was actually agreeing with what she wrote! I had thought that someone who writes what is known as a "RadTrad" 'blog and has come under fire from some bigger names in "St. Blog's Parish" would appreciate a little support, but I guess I'm just displaying my usual ignorance of basic human psychology. =S
Anyway, I "dropped" her after that . . . but from her actions, I'd say she wanted me to. (If it had all worked out differently, however, I think she and I could have been friends. =P)
I have noticed an attitude of "If you talk to so-and-so, you can't be my friend" in the blogosphere. Soooo middle school! As adults we hopefully have many friends. I would be bored to death if all my friends were exactly like me.
I don't like bed bugs - I prefer nuts. But anyway Adrienne - I never thank people for linking to me - I'm so bad - maybe that's why everyone leaves.
Thanks everyone for linking to me and thanks for dropping me from your links. Big hugs all around - some with a leg curl.
:o)
Terry: If they leave, it's their loss, not yours. Keep up the good work.
I am constantly reminded of how life as an adult is just like high school; I couldn't wait to get out of high school with all the judgments, cliques, rejection of those who didn't "fit in"...and I am very amused/frustrated/annoyed that high school just continues in adulthood; maybe even worse.
Like a great priest friend I knew said: "It's a great life, if you don't weaken." Isn't that the truth?
Terry
Thanks, for taking time to blog...:)
Terry, that's what you get for being simply Catholic. (BTW the public conduct of priests, with or without SSAD, is your business.)
leg curl????? Yum! Can I wear my high heels?
Adrienne --- high heels, definitely!
NP -- Father, I'm afraid what you wrote is oh so true...
Okay, so I once more have to admit that I'm dumb as a box of rocks...but what is a "leg curl"?(I'm getting old and have been outta the circuit for a LONG time:<)!)
Who would drop Terry from their blogroll?
Insanity, that's what that is.
;)
I had not thought of this till now. It seems that blogs are a mirror of my own defects. It magnifies my own sin. It is like I cannot run from it. Everthing that goes on in life face-to-face happens in virtual life, it is intensified. It leaves "tracks" as it were. It is clubbish. just like real life. Water seeks its own level and all. "Catholic blogs" seem to have have their own peculiar set of challenges. If we will know they are Christians by their love is true, it takes on a funny dimension in cyber catholic chat, doesn't it.
Terry: Who cares what other folks think? You are the bees knees, my friend. You are the real thing.
Cathy: Insanity, a lack of sense of humor, and just nastiness...that's what it is.
Oh, dear God, I pray that this horrible division between "trads" and Catholics who just want to love the Lord, our Holy Church, our Holy Father, and just want to be in communion with one another would end.
There is so much ca-ca out there we have to deal with; these horrible snipes/divisions/ego trips just have to stop.
But when I read the "Acts of the Apostles" and the Epistles of Saint Paul, I realize this has been going on for a veeeery looong time.
Prayer, penance and love.
That's it.
Terry--
I'm probably one of the WORSE stats....since I limit my Internet time to an hour a day I usually flitter around from place to place...some days moe than others.. :)And truthfully I use people's blog listings to jump from blog to blog rather than book mark..so if it's not there I just go someplace else :)
NP--You think it's bad among the Catholics..you should be hearing what many traditional mainstream Protestant Churches are going through...
Which of course doesn't make it right..
But I agree that folks nowadays are way too quick to slam and slam back, thin-skinned, quick-tempered and its-my-way-or-I'll-take-my-ball-and-go-home...High school?? In my workplace it's more like kindergarten...we can't even play nice in the sandbox without throwing sand...
Sara
See, it could be worse. We could all be Protestant,right?
Padre: No leg curls at the Monastery.
+JMJ+
I actually culled many 'blogs from my own sidebar recently, because I wanted to do a tournament bracket and needed a number that was a square of 2. (Is that what they're called?) So from over forty 'blogs, I narrowed my list down to thirty-two. Then, as if that wasn't unfriendly enough, I made them all go head to head so that there would be winners and losers. Of course, I posted the whole thing!
(Abbey-Roads won, by the way. =P)
One thing I like about this blog - there are so many different "types" here, so many different stories, yet everyone manages to behave. When we screw up (as I did jumping the gun and NOT CALMING DOWN - LOL Maria) we apologize, forgive each other, and move on. It's less like a combox and more like sitting around having a chat. (People are MUCH more tactful in real life than online.)
I think the blogowner sets the tone for this. When Terry screws up (not that it happens much), he apologizes, asks forgiveness, and moves on. That's how Christians are SUPPOSED to behave. No more sniping, no more backbiting.
This is the most pleasant combox on the interwebtubes, bar none.
Cathy:I agree. I love the diversity. The thread that holds this blog together, so well,is Terry's humililty. The blog is not driven by pride. You were very kind to forgive me, Cathy--thank you!! And, just as you say, as Christians, that IS what we are supposed to do. A sense if humor, for me, is all but indispensable. But, I am Irish. Black humor is Mother's milk for us.
Ah, Maria, you're Irish too? No wonder we see eye to eye...
Terry - I won't drop you. Unless you drop me first. lol
Maria,
And I am so grateful for your forgiveness, too. Perhaps it's the Irish on my father's side that makes me jump the gun like a maniac at times.
;)
Austringer: Am I. LOL. You haven't been reading my posts about my Grandfather, Perc, has he Padre?
Cath: Of course it is. That is WHY we love the Irish. The fighting Irish, that is:). My temper was the bane of my existence until the Holy Spiit re-arranged me, in right order. It is why I am patient w/ people who are sometimes,wll, you know, on FIRE. LOL
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