Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Why do it?

In conversation the topic of Blog-keeping comes up - is it just navel-gazing, an ego-trip, a textual 'folly' ... well, you can continue the objections.

I'm aware of an 'instrumentalist' logic at work which affects our daily lives in all sorts of ways. Notice the increasing number of programmes on the BBC based upon the idea of ransacking the attic for something to sell. The message seems to be: turn everything to a fast profit.

And so?

I like this statement by John Wilkinson in 'Quid' (I think you can access it online via barque press - I'm going by the magazine itself):

"... it remains important to assert that the journey matters more than arrival, for the arrival is at best disappointing and at its most predictable, deadly. To feel alive means to say, I went looking for this or that which I thought I wanted, and instead I found something which mattered to me far more."

He's talking about writing, of course, but it's a pretty good counterblast to people who insist on thinking everything has to have a definite outcome.

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