Listening to Voices

I've been having an ongoing conversation with one of the voices in my head, the one I call Ffej.  Ffej likes to look over my shoulder and force me to consider everything I do, every decision I make. For instance, Ffej might ask why I still sit down at this desk on a daily basis and do this.  Recently, I've been wondering the same thing.  I've had more than a passing desire to hit the Kill button on Syntax of Things, to become a passive participant, a reader instead of a poster.  What is the shelf life of a blogger anyway?  If a blog falls in the sphere...

Maybe it's because I've lost a sense of focus.  Sometimes it seems like I go on auto-pilot, like I'm doing this for the sake of doing it rather than developing a theme or an idea.  Or it could be that I'm pulled in too many directions.  Should I give up blogging about the music I love to concentrate on books?  Or vice versa?  Stop linking to stories about flaming piles of poop?  Do I forego the personal for the universal, after all I don't want this to be just another Web diary; who the hell wants to read a diary unless it's about a recovering addict who's been molested by a roving pack of three-legged kittens and who now spends his time painting faces on golf balls?

In truth, I started Syntax of Things without a focus.  All I wanted was a place to rant about things so that my wife would not be subjected to my vitriol on a daily basis.  And it worked.  We've never been happier.  But over the course of SoT's existence, I found myself drawn into discussions that mattered to me.  I became a devotee to the book blogs and the music blogs; I expanded my theme and before long this place became a daily repository of what I found interesting, be it movies, music, baseball, books, a royal disliking of Madonna, or Ken Jennings. Over time, I have linked to and been linked by most of my favorites, have received comments from many of them, e-mails from others, and all of this while maintaining a blog that concentrates on everything without focusing on anything.

That's the point.  Syntax of Things has no point.  No point of origin, no point of content, no point of existence other than the fact that I (and Ffej) enjoy being part of this primordial soup.  I appreciate knowing that some people return to this site on a regular basis, some inspired enough to drop me a line and tell me that they enjoy it.  I continue to find inspiration and ideas from the blogs I read, many of them, like mine, small fish in the large tank.  Gwenda and Little Toy Robot make me think about reading Science Fiction; Interstate Love Songs makes me want to visit Chicago; Pauly D. has made me laugh more on a daily basis than anything I've found on TV other than All in the Family reruns; Black Market Kidneys tries his best to convince me to give Bright Eyes a chance.  That's just scratching the surface.  I continue to find new blogs and add them to the Bloglines account and then watch as they either develop or fade into perma-cache. 

So have no fear (or be afraid), I plan on sticking around a while longer.  I want to listen to Ffej (and your) suggestions.  There's always room for improvement, a need to figure out if there's a way to quiet the concerns I have or make this even more worthwhile. In a few months, I'll be setting out on a new endeavor, possibly the most important thing I've done in my life.  I think it's important that what I plan on doing be read as widely as possible, and what better way than with this ready-made soapbox?  Stay tuned.

Comments

[Tito]

Glad to hear you're not calling it a day. Now that Dave Berry is no more, how else will we know about the Manure Mountain from the cornhusker state?
If nothing else, keep it up for the fantasy baseball. I may have to crack open some baseball books in anticipation. Any favorite baseball books to suggest?
I'm gonna start with WP Kinsella's Shoeless Joe.

[Geoff]

If it helps, I keep coming back precisely because SOT has no point. Reading your stuff and the sites you link to exposes me to a much wider range of info than I could ever find (or even think to look for) on my own. If we don't say it often enough, it's not because we're not all thinking it, but keep up the great work!

[Robin]

I have to agree--I'm happy that this wasn't a farewell post. I'd rather see blogs that skip around to different topics and themes. I think they're far more interesting.

And if you ever come to Chicago, I'll give you tips on where to find the best pizza in town :-)

[tj]

I understand that "niche" question and wrestle with it myself. I think Robin is right, though. The ones that skip around give readers a better insight into the full person behind the posts. Niche bloggers are great and serve their purpose, but the renaissance bloggers brush up against this whole distance-smasher that is the internerd.

Initially I came for the books, but I stuck around for the personality. Keep it up, Jeff.

[Pauly D]

You hang in there, and you keep them doggies walkin' around at the top banner. The day I can't ALMOST smell the cow dung is the day I sadly have to drive to Harris Ranch.

Which is probably this weekend.

Nonetheless, keep up the good work!

[LTR]

Glad you're sticking around. I'm pretty random myself, so I look towards blogs like SOT for validation.