WHAT PUTS THE APE IN APRICOT?

What makes a king out of a slave? What makes the flag on the mast to wave? What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? What makes the dawn come up like thunder? What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?

That’s right. We all know the answer. Say it with me just like Burt Lahr would have. “Courage.” A new reader of my blog wrote me an email and it got me thinking. I’ve been blogging for 10 months now. I look over at those counters in amazement. It’s not really the 65,000 hits that gets to me, but more so the nearly 20,000 times people have actually read these posts. People have written me and I’ve certainly read it on some of your blogs, but I guess I finally realize that it does takes courage to put yourself out there, and write about yourself, and open yourself up to an endless amount of criticism. But we all take that risk. We take that risk whether we blog, write reply comments, or email the blogger privately. I think all these cases require a certain amount of courage. We all write and we’re all subject to one of the things I think all of us fear most in life, criticism. I’ve had my share here. Most of it has been constructive, but occasionally it’s been distasteful. But it certainly hasn’t been as severe as it often is over at Greek Tragedy. But everyone’s got an opinion and I’m willing to air everyone’s opinion.

I know this blog and what I write about can be mundane, smarmy, inconsequential, and repetitive. But I guess that’s who I am. Writing for me is a release. It’s a release of my frustrations, it empties my brain, it gives me the chance to be creative, it gives me the chance at sometimes making people smile. Honestly, I don’t claim to be a good writer. I think I’m more of a reporter, a conversationalist who happens to put silly streams of consciousness to words. But for me, it’s liberating. I enjoy it. People write to me and ask me how I can be so open and honest about my numerous imperfections? I don’t really know the answer. It’s who I am, and I guess I want people to know me as I am no matter how embarrassing it might be.

I’m very happy out here in the blogosphere. I can’t believe I’ve “met” so many great people. You guys know who you are. I guess all of us have this common bond of courage. Keep blogging, keep reading, and keep your opinions coming. Oh dear, I’ve just reread this. Talk about smarmy!