On the DEWLine 2.0: Dwight Williams

Once upon a time, back in the LJ years, I decided to try to give myself some idea of where visitors to my weblog were visiting from. Something like MapLoco or one of its competitors. I remember dropping that from my profile page some years later, but not the reason(s) why. Wondering if I should resume that habit, and why or why not.

There are people I need to converse with more often. Instant-Messenger-style services seem to be falling away, and maybe I should go back to e-mailing them/you?

The story's at the other end of the link.

I went to the event described in this article:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-racist-graffiti-solidarity-synagogue-1.3859097

I couldn't not go. Not with the news of acts of vandalism across the city, and the ongoing concerns about the US political situation that many see as one of the triggers of these crimes. It helped me with my anxiety issues for several good hours.

I hope that I was of help to others by being there.

Something I was reminded of this morning, via the CBC's Sunday Edition. You won't agree with all the choices of the authors on that list and that's right and proper, but maybe it'll start a discussion of equally helpful alternatives or additions.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/american-tragedy-vs-tragically-hip-books-for-a-mad-world-15-hr-work-week-haley-s-decision-1.3753257/what-to-read-when-the-world-has-gone-mad-1.3753324

I'm stealing time away from assorted relatives upstairs to put these things to the web, for however long that lasts.

It seems to me that while others here have been doing the work of getting the creative side of their lives into a condition where they earn part or all of their living from it, I've been increasingly pushed to the sidelines. To watch those others succeed at building their dreams to whatever degree possible, while I just focus on surviving. Yes, there are the hobbies, which could count as skill-building in their way. Glad to have that underway. I certainly have a number of friends with which to commiserate, to share in schemes with, to cheer on in their own efforts. I am grateful for that. Always.

Grateful also for the family I spoke of at the top here.

Not sure that this counts as a full-bore Resolution. It probably doesn't. More of a "keep working on it and see where the effort takes you" deal.

I want to get back to putting in that creative work.

Some will say that I haven't really stopped. The money has dried up, true, but some of you will point to various things you've seen and heard and read from me as evidence of not really having stopped. Which will make sense.

It's a matter of perception. And perception counts for much.  

After I announced via Facebook my intent to visit Parliament Hill today to join the Layton memorial/anniversary vigil, one of my friendlisters there gave praise: "You're a good citizen."

In honesty?

I'm not even sure that I qualify as a good human being yet, never mind being a good citizen. I'm troubled by any number of personal flaws remembered, whether remembered accurately or not. Some of you have been annoyed personally by those flaws, sometimes more than once. Some people have left my friendlists here and elsewhere as a result.

I'll admit to being a work in progress. There are good days and bad days. Sometimes, there are lukewarm days. Today's one of the lukewarm days. Hoping to do better. To be better.

In the meantime, thanks for your patience, your goodwill and your trust to the degree you've deemed right and proper so far.