Wednesday, January 04, 2006

The Silence is Deafening

I know I write for myself, but I need feedback. I haven't heard from you guys in awhile. Diane, I need an update on Gordy; I miss JL. You can tell him that. Lisa, you haven't updated your blog this year! And the rest of you, well, I guess you're blog shy. But no need to be. You can post anonymously, and I'll never guess who you are. Righhhhhhhht.

I suspect my family checks in routinely just to make sure I'm not betraying their secrets to the world. Don't worry. As you can tell, I've been blogging since October and have relatively few comments. It's not easy to be noticed on the world wide web. And I never use last names...hardly any firsts. I took your suggestion K. and shortened it to initials. But by and far, the people I have met here online have been friendly and decent people who share a common interest. Those that don't share a love of writing and God generally do not stick around past the first couple of sentences. People don't read anymore anyway. I can tell you're growing weary right now as I digress.

Anyway....I talked to a certain cousin this evening, who forgot to fill me in on his family's New Years. Anything special you'd like to clue me in on??? And now that you have a home computer I expect your feedback at least twice a month. If you stay home long enough to log in. That goes for the rest of you. Don't worry about being grammatically correct or anything like that. Just want to hear from you. I know, I know. That's what the telephone is for, but this is my link to old fashioned letter writing--an art form long forgotten and too expensive to dabble in anymore. But I'll save that soapbox for another day.

Don't make me have to bring out the big guns! Laugh.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's good to know you don't got to be grammatically correct. on this here feed back

Anonymous said...

Hi!

Feedback you need...it's feedback you receive. I just returned from a week in sunny Naples, Florida--there on a business trip with my husband. Even though we have been having a "mild" Minnesota winter (can mild and winter even be typed in the same sentence???), it was a welcome relief.

I have been visiting your blog regularly and have been thorougly enjoying your sentimental journey through the Holidays. In the past, the Christmas Season has conjured up feelings of loss and sadness. Even though my adult life has been spectacular...uninvited memories of growing up in an alcoholic home seem to rise to the surface with every holiday. There is so much in my life to be thankful for (including Gordy's complete recovery from his brain bleed!!!), I refuse to succumb to the pain of those memories. There is victory in healing! And while reading your blog entries, I smiled as they triggered similar memories of my own childhood--that had been deeply covered with the pain of alchoholism and poverty.

I, too, visited Nursing Homes on Sunday afternoons; went to New Years Eve Service at church, and made fudge at Christmas time. After reading your blog entries, I sat at my laptop and could almost smell the melting chocolate bar and nearly felt the anticipation of tasting my favorite Christmas candy! I remembered the joy I felt as a child, singing Christmas carols in the nursing home while the residents lightly tapped their hands on their wheelchair arm rests. And I smiled as I remembered leaving the church building at 12:01 a.m. each January 1st with my gifted lunch bag that held the shiny red apple, nuts, and hard candies.

So thank you for sharing your memories of moments shared with loved ones during past holidays. You have bolstered my heart in a very meaningful way; isn't God good! The blues of my holiday sadness were a lighter shade this year....the more I smile--the paler they become!

I'm not sure that I have shared memories of a Hip and Curves Dance Pole however! For this middle-aged Minnesotan--we avoid any poles in the winter! Never, never, never...put your tongue on a flagpole in the winter! Now I know you didn't mention anything about putting your tongue on the pole (!!!!), not to mention, I imagine it's meant to be used inside, however, I can't help but be reminded of this age-old adage, that I learned to be true while in 1st grade on the school playground--be careful around poles in the winter! Other than advice, I have no feedback! :) But--you go girl!

Diane

C. H. Green said...

Diane,
Thank you so much for your gracious words. They meant so much to me. I too, have uninvited bad memories of holidays past. My father was an alcoholic as well. As time goes on though, it's easier to remember the good and leave the bad behind.

A friend wrote me a letter after my mom passed about how they made Christmas memorable during an impoverished year. She said that when my mom lacked sugar, she had sugar to share with her. And when mom's friend lacked potatoes, my mom had potatoes to share with her. It was the AngelChristmas. They got together and made homemade angel shoe holders to hang on our closets. I wish I still had mine. I had no idea how precious it was to make.

I still smile about the time my dad brought home my sister's swingset. Santa needed a little help with the delivery. And the night he brought home a pony for me from sale long after I was supposed to be asleep. I rode Shorty all over the yard in my gowntail.

I'm still looking for work. Still going to interviews and getting turned down. Still getting the rejection slips in my email for my submissions. But I'm not giving up!

Hope you and yours have a fabulous New Years. So glad you're still stopping by.