Friday, June 24, 2011

Interactive Blogging



Hi Everyone,

I thought I would write today's post in the form of a letter. A recent post by Peter over at Moment by Moment got me thinking about blogging, audience, and what it is we're doing here anyway. I say "we" because my writing and your reading (and commenting) go together. They aren't separate. People like to talk about "my blog," but actually there is no "my blog" anymore. The moment I started putting it out there, and the first of you started reading it, it became something else.

This morning, I read several blog posts that I could have offered commentary on, or simply shared with you all. There's some "hot button" stuff about race and Buddhism out there right now, as well as a few lovely posts contemplating the planet and practice, just to name a few places I might have gone.

But what I keep going back to is the participatory nature of blogging. The shared experience that too often, we fail to acknowledge. Although I haven't joined in on it, I have always admired the "post swaps" that Nate from Precious Metal has organized. And others, like Al who created The Zen Community, seem to understand the interactive quality of blogging, and are interested in elevating the "community" element of what we are all doing.

So, in the spirit of that, I thought I would open the floor to suggestions from the readership.

Is there any burning topic you'd like to see me address on Dangerous Harvests?

Are there any past posts you'd like to see revisited and maybe updated on here?

Is there anything else you can think of that might enliven the general experience for readers here?

As I stated above, I had plenty of things I could have written about today. Although I don't away have a ton to say, the well certainly hasn't run dry. In fact, I'm considering some ideas behind the scenes that might expand what I'm doing online, but would enjoy hearing from you all as well.

Happy Friday! All the best,
Nathan

4 comments:

Was Once said...

Nathan,
Address the act of "doing," and why so many people are always busy... avoiding "being."

Nathan said...

Thanks "Was Once" - I'll sit with that one and do a post soon.

Was Once said...

I actually stopped today, many times... the worrying mind and relaxed. Whenever the worrying mind came in, I would relax it, and thus, I actually had a day off. My body feels relaxed, of course I sat for an hour today, and set it all in motion. But I thinking the need to be busy is to cut off the worrying mind instead of relaxing into being.

Nathan said...

Sounds like a good day of practice you had there!

I do think the anxious, worried mind is a big player behind all the running around. It's sense of wanting to do something, accomplish something can feel endless, and even when you actually do and accomplish, it's never enough.

Sometimes, I cut that off. And sometimes I try to just watch it as it changes into something else.

That is, when I'm actually paying attention.