Working together, growing together. . .

I am amazed at the time that has past since I last blogged. There have been so many things that I wanted to do and share here, but I have really found it difficult to spend anytime doing it.

As a writer, it is an almost unwritten law that one must write everyday - to stay sharp, to hone one's skills and to keep the creative juices flowing. Some believe that it helps to avoid the dreaded writer's block. I never seem to be at a loss for words - my problem is simply taking the time to do it, much like taking the time to actually exercise.

It has occurred to me that blogging, in general, is not only a soapbox for anyone to spout off from, but it is also a chance for us as a society to compare notes, learn from others' experiences, debate issues, support one another and build each other up.

Sometimes, I feel as if none of this matters. Where is all of this wealth of ideas, thoughts and feelings being stored? Where will it end up? Is this blogging thing a permanent record? It's similar to a journal, but is it really the same thing? Will someone discover these musings 50...75...100 years down the road? Or is the whole thing disposable, gone at the press of the 'delete' button?

For thousands of years, we human beings have put our minds to record through cave drawings, carvings, artwork, letters, books and manuscripts -- all of these things physical tangible things that, although not permanent, they can be studied and accessed at will, using the physical senses to interpret and analyse. What of this medium? How permanent is cyberspace? Will it remain accessible when mankind develops a new medium in which to communicate, rendering the Internet obsolete?

This human race, of which you and I are participants, rises or falls on its ability to understand the past, learn from previous experience, and expand on former ideas and ingenuity. Without our past - without the ability to access the talents and intelligences of those who've gone before us, we throw ourselves into a vicious cycle of repeating that which has already been attained, for good or ill, and it becomes difficult to expand, improve and innovate from there. Our knowledge plateaus and we cease to explore, to question and ultimately, to grow.

Although these thoughts may seem deep to you, they've caught me off-guard. I have been derelict in my human responsibility to share and to record, thus putting my own self worth into that very large pile of "who cares" that we are so quick to turn to. To those who read these thoughts of mine, I hope there is some value in the meaning behind the words expressed here. To those who share their own selves through the blog-o-sphere, continue to do so, and thank you for allowing yourselves to not be ordinary.

From this, we can improve, expand and explore as a race.