My Way

I was surprised to note a comment left on my blog recently: I read it thinking it was a reader wanting to wish me Eid Mubarak. The commentor who preferred to remain anonymous among others commented that I complain a lot in my blog (s/he also used another word which I won’t deign to repeat here). Hold on a minute, I thought, this is my blog anyway and, yes, I write things of interest to me or rant about something I feel strongly about. I don’t blog to please my audience; I write to channel out my thoughts and express my opinions the way I see/feel it, however puerile they may be.

I won’t argue with the complaining charge: I am aware that I do complain (because I’m a fussy puss) so much so I make a little conscious effort to remind myself to be thankful for little blessings because I don’t want to sound like too much an ungrateful whiner. But pray tell, who doesn’t complain? I think it’s only the prophets and people like Buddha who never complained about anything. And I don’t think I complain excessively anyway. I try to make light of my misfortunes and I try to write about witty things (by the way, I’m still trying to recall my recent complaint in this blog. Could s/he mean my lament over Arsenal’s defeat last weekend? Or my earlier opinion on how I think Eid should be celebrated? If so, I think s/he has picked on the wrong verb).

And who could anonymous be? I didn’t realise that there are other people who read this nonsense of a blog except for a handful of my closest friends and if they do decide to comment, they won’t remain anonymous (my very few friends who read this blog are busy career girls and hence are for the most part silent readers) and they will do so tactfully.

S/he also scathingly asked why I choose to harp on some Spanish footballer rather than on Portuguese players. Hold on again, this is my blog and I happen to be a fanatic of a certain Spanish player so naturally I’d be inclined to blog about him than anyone else (it also follows that as I happen to support Arsenal, I’d also be inclined to blog about them rather than on, say, Lyon or Juventus). Plus, the last time I check, Spain is the current European champion so logically that makes its players better than the Portuguese, right? Oh, did s/he mean looks rather than skills then? If so, who could s/he mean? Nani? The Diving Queen himself? Err, I’ll stick to my Catalan chap, thanks anyway.

As for my poor long-suffering significant other who has to bear with me ‘worshipping’ my Spaniard, let me worry about that, thank you. And anyway, why should he dare mind?

A fellow blogger once likened having a blog to hosting an open house and I agree with her. You go, meet and get to know the host. If you like what the host has to offer, you are welcomed to stay and if you don’t, you can always cut short your visit. Occasionally your host will share things that are on his mind: at times he may whine about certain issues and at other times, he may be full of praises for someone. Your host may also have too many ornaments or photos of someone or paintings by a certain artist on his wall. You don’t have to agree with what your host says or thinks or agree with his displays and if you think the offerings are not palatable to your taste, you are not compelled to stay. You can express your views to your host but you can’t expect to compel him to accept your views just as you aren’t compelled to accept his views.

What I blog about may not make me popular and may not meet my readers’ standards or expectations – they may be offended or insulted but I can’t please everybody. Besides, I blog about things I fancy writing about, not about what I think people will fancy reading. I try to vary the topics I blog about – touching on the economy, our social responsibility to the community around us, even seemingly ordinary everyday people who make an impression on me. I will do this blog My Way and here, it’s only My Way or the cyber highway.

There are some blogs I follow where I don’t agree with the writers’ point of view, chosen way of life or opinion on certain things but I remind myself that I would not like it either if someone makes scathing comments about my blog and besides, we don’t all share the same beliefs, values and views. Like Evelyn Beatrice Hall said, I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

I also try to be a responsible blogger – yes, while one should be able to blog without fear in blogistan, it’s not just a case of ‘It’s my blog and I’ll blog whatever I want to’ because one must remember that one must be prepared to accept comments when one shares one’s thoughts or bares one’s soul to the world. And when I cannot accept comments, I feel I need to somehow explain myself because in this instance, I think the comment is unfair to me, unwarranted and so ridiculous.

So if you’re looking for an emotionless, soulless, unoffensive, politically correct, sanitised blog, then this blog will disappoint you. And if you think what I blog about falls short of your reading expectations, you are not compelled to linger on. You can politely and quietly leave as you have come, and please make sure not to trip, tear your host off a strip, let rip against your host, or spit on your way out.

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Washington Mutual and Wachovia became the latest casualties in the financial turmoil dominos. What next then? The House of Representatives had earlier this week rejected the $700b bail-out plan so unless it approves the new version of the rescue plan, we could potentially expect a bloodbath soon. But really, is it fair to expect taxpayers to bear the brunt of market failures? Wouldn’t that be in contradiction to the idea of capitalism?

Would love to get constructive feedback on this instead.