One of my older relatives once explained why he didn’t play poker. He’d done so when he was in the army but stopped as soon as he came out. His reason? He said, “I enjoyed it too much.”
He wisely recognized that it’s the things you really enjoy that can do you damage. There is no “hitting-myself-in-the-head-with-a-hammer anonymous” but there are 12-step and rehab programs for almost any conceivable overindulged pleasure . If you don’t discipline yourself, pleasurable activities create a dangerous feedback loop that can lead you down an implosive spiral.
I really like blogging and picking fights on the internet.
I will spend way too much time doing it. Okay, I probably shouldn’t compare my temptation to over-blog with people wrestling with more dangerous addictions but the fact remains I am always tempted to let blogging eat my time.
This January I found I really needed to focus like a laser on a couple of projects and I found that the only way to do so was to just not blog at all. Even a minor comment could lead to a cascade that consumed hours. It’s just as well I’m not an alcoholic because apparently I have so little self-discipline that it wouldn’t take more than sniffing a wine cork to cause me to end up in the gutter an hour later.
Also, I have over the last few years made it a point to go on a “news fast” in which I basically don’t pay attention to day-to-day news, especially politics. I even forbid my friends and family from discussing any news with me. It’s good to just tune out all the ranting and raving for a while and just stop and smell the flowers. I find doing so very emotionally reinvigorating. I usually take a break of a couple of weeks to a month every year but this year I started and just didn’t stop.
Finally, my spouse yesterday ordered me to start paying attention to the news because apparently we’re having some kind of election or what not and I’m expected to discuss it with the family. Since I can’t read the news without blogging about it, here I am thinking, “well one little nip won’t hurt.”
I would also like to say that it is a completely scurrilous accusation that I was drawn back to blogging by a chance reading of the phrase, “Pussy Riots.”
However, I do admit I can’t wait to find out what the heck that is all about. Being as I was completely unaware of the event and having zero context or background, reading a post title of, “The Pussy Riots Seen from Texas by an ROCOR Priest’s Wife” had to be one of my top ten internet WTF? moments.
Shannon – I can relate to you a bit. I have a bit of a compulsive personality – if a little is good a lot must be so much better. Which I know isn’t always a good thing.
Like the bag of licorice I bought today. i have eaten half the bag. Don’t understand those people who can eat 5 potato chips – or one piece of candy –
Here I have to come back every hour/2 to see if I have heard from Jonathan, Michael Kennedy, Sgt Mom, or a dozen others.
When I decided to get serious about losing 20 lbs I just stopped buying candy bars at the store. Couldn’t eat just one….occasionally.
Had to go cold turkey.
So, have you had a relapse?
It’s OK.
Oh, on the Pussy Riot title – I had a similar reaction ;-)
“Like the bag of licorice I bought today. i have eaten half the bag. Don’t understand those people who can eat 5 potato chips – or one piece of candy – ”
Yeah, that’s why I don’t keep much food in the house. If I bought a lot of food, I still wouldn’t have much food in the house (well, unless being in my digestive system counts as “in the house”).
Best to avoid temptations you know you can’t resist.
And yeah, a Pussy Riot sounds like it’d be much more pleasant than the usual kind of riot.
I hate to burst your post premise but there are far more 12 step programs than most people think exist. Self-injury anonymous does exist and while it seems to focus on cutters, I’m sure they’d take a hammer guy in.
Welcome back Shannon.
It is good to take a break from the news from time to time or from blogging and to come back re-invigorated.
One good thing about Chicago Boyz and LITGM is that there are lots of others who can keep rolling and then when you come back someone else can take a breather and focus on something else in the world.
Blogging is about passion and when the passion wanes it is good to take a breather and recharge.
Like Dan tells me, Blogging is the best buggy whip out there for now.
Don’t tempt me…is all I gotta say. Make with the free ice cream!
Blogging is like riding a horse to a dance. You should always ride home on the horse you rode to the dance. Obviously.
Real life gets in the way of my blogging all the time.
One more little nip isn’t going to hurt you, Shannon.
Reminds me of this Futurama dialog:
Fry: “Why would a robot need to drink?”
Bender: “I don’t need to drink. I can quit any time I want.”