Pearls of Wisdom and Foolish Mutterings

Strange Days

I got a text message in the middle of the night last night that my best friend is in the hospital. They suspect a stroke. She is only 41 (I think that's right - Sorry Debra if I added a year), anyway, she's young. Way too young for a stroke. Of course, they are doing test after test to determine if it really was a stroke, and if not, then what was it? Scary. I've spoken with her twice this morning and she sounds perfectly normal, just like regular Deb. Except that she has no memory at all of last night - doesn't remember going out to eat with the man she is seeing, doesn't remember going to Target, coming home, going to the ER, any of that.

Debra is the kind of friend who I give cards to that say things like, We will always be friends because you know too much about me. She and I have been to hell and back together. If you are a praying person, please send one up for my friend, Deb.

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Switching gears........ Our dear friend David McClain posted a blog yesterday with some fascinating ponderings. Then he threw it open for discussion - last time I checked, there were about 15 comments, making for a  well-reasoned debate. If you haven't done so already, check out Tor's post from yesterday and maybe toss your thoughts in, too.

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An interesting thought..... You've all heard the old saw, I'm sure, that says Familiarity breeds contempt or the verse in the Bible that says A prophet knows no honor in his hometown (Luke 4:24). I can hear you all saying, Okay, but what's your point? Bear with me, I'm getting there.

I've spent the last few months trying not to get my feelings hurt because I have this blog that I'm really proud of, something I view as a great accomplishment, but most of my family and close friends never read it. The one exception is my sister, who reads it faithfully. (Thank you Kathy - you rock) If I'm wrong and there are other members of my family or close friends who do read it, at least I'll find out now because they'll read this and send me huffy emails about how insulted they are because they always read my blog. But, I digress.

So, I have this blog which is my major focus for at least part of every day and I fill it with witty repartee and clever retorts and beguiling stories of said family and friends. And I patiently wait for someone - anyone - to say, Hey I read your blog today. It was really good, funny, clever, sad, interesting... (take your pick, any of those adjectives will do nicely) Finally, I give in and ask, Did you read my blog today? Or yesterday? Or last month? But I already know the answer. And I wonder why.

So, could it be that the answer to that question which plagues me is that familiarity does indeed breed contempt? Or that a prophet knows no honor in his hometown - or to paraphrase - A blogger gets no respect from his own family?

And now that I've finally written about this thing that nags at me, will I finally be able to just let it go already?