Ever find yourself walking, listening to tunes on your IPOD/Nomad/Zen/just in your head, and suddenly your walking along to the drumbeat?
Changing songs can take you from a simple stroll to a grim-faced march to war.
Lately I've been hearing the drums... the slow and steady, rolling drumbeat of change.
It's funny, I've spent 9/10ths my life walking alone, solitary. And now, even at work, I find myself marching with a unit. Lockstep, in time. I've quietly altered the way business is conducted at work, streamlined it and brought everyone on board without quarrel. I did not conciously set out to do so, my only thought being that things could be done differently. Not vastly, but slightly differently. Enough to make a difference.
My unit is one of the quickest, tightest around. Everyone works in unison, even the new guys. It's a natural flow.
But work only lasts so many hours a day. Outside of work, similar things are happening.
After the Roanoke Bloggers meeting last Saturday, I noticed a difference in the way we blog. It's almost more cohesive, like a linear story told by a multitude of voices.
It's a story of change, of hopes and fears, moments of greatness and "senior moments." We could bounce ideas back and forth amongst the different members of the group, and still everyone would understand the final product. At least thats my take on it.
This group of bloggers represents every faction of life in Roanoke, from the business owner, to the civil servant. The blue-collar worker, the white collar worker, the religious and the not so much. The technologically aware, and the... well.. is Amish a strong word? The college student who would love nothing more than to stay here in Roanoke, the emigrant population, and possibly those who would love nothing more than to leave.
And we are just regular people, each with different ideas, each with different passions, but all of us able to hold conversations. Exchange ideas, experiences, and thoughts.
We learn, grow, and form alliances through this type of communication. We march together, ever forward. The one thing we have in common, we all are able to talk and listen, and communicate.
To my ears and eyes, it would seem that some Roanokers are resistant to that idea. Resistant to the discourse that is daily life. When the Times did its piece on "Is it harder to make friends in Roanoke", I started putting 1 and 1 together. Based on personal experiences, hearsay from others, and the Times articles - Roanoke comes across as a very friendly, but very shallow community. There is a resistance to actually fully befriending someone, especially among the "young adults."
Yet you can see the want for that level of friendship, the want for something beyond the shallow. And it's not just Roanoke - its symptomatic of the nation at large these days.
Who is your neighbor? No, seriously. Can you tell me how your neighbor feels about life in general? Not many can these days.
Look at my comments on this blog. Or the new messageboard I set up. Nothing usually. Why? Fear of interaction? I don't know really, all I can do is theorize. I know there are plenty of daily readers. Do you just read, consume the words and move on? Or do you feel anything, maybe a spark of passion or anger? I don't know, you don't tell me.
I'm not that hard to find. I can assure you there is no one else wearing a Forgotten-Roanoke.com denim jacket around town in this warm weather. I don't bite, well occasionally I have, but usually I try not to leave marks. I get more nervous downtown when people smile and pass a greeting, but never make sincere eye contact.
Even the dim light of sanity in the eyes of certain homeless on the market is preferable to the "cold fish" treatment that seems to be the order of the day.
This is not static people, it's interactive - just like life.
11 comments:
The homeless people of Roanoke are great people, try actually having a conversation with them.
Great post. You make several good points.
I like the fact that our cohesive group represents numerous opinions and yet we all respect each other for our differences.
Actually I'm starting to think that maybe our group isn't so cohesive. Why does one blogger have to "moderate" the comments on his site and always choose not to have them posted if they are from me and might not be in lockstep with his view point? Isn't this a little hypocritical...
oh, really. Who is that?
Ms. E, I thought I felt my ears burning. But I moderate my comments. But yeah, I also JUST changed the email addy that I send the comments to, so forgive me if I have a life (oh you know, moving my entire life from dorm to roanoke in one day while studying for cumulative exams) and can't jump to the internet to appease everyone 24/7.
Furthermore, in regards to why people moderate comments? My blog, my space on the net, I can do what I want, although the only comments I've ever not published have been ones w/ curse words and containing personal infor (like email addies). So can u, the democracy of the net is brilliant.
And yes, when I did get to checking the new email account, I did publish your comments.
Weill, I do hope they teach you better reading skills in school, because your comprehension of my statement is a bit off.
Rhett, thanks.
Elena, cheeeeel.. or I'll summon a Dominican Nun on you.
ATL - you too buster, ever meet a Nun with a ruler?
Play nicely.. lol
Look, I read the whole thing, Im talking about a conversation with them, you know what a conversation is I hope, not just a simple hello and be on your way. Read between the lines.
BS Lotz, this isn't the first comment of mine you haven't published. Your statement says it all, "My blog, my space, I can do what I want" Sounds like something my 12 year old would say...Waah, waah, waah. Whatever.
Is this a Whine and Cheese party?
Weill, its people like you who make me WANT to moderate my comments, but I choose not to. However, not once have you stated anything relevant to the conversation. I am asking you nicely to refrain from commenting unless relevant to the situation, not one line in a entire novel that you disagree with. Wonder why you've been getting banned from every place you go? Your off-topic comments and refusal to give proper credit (still doing it on your blog I see) gets old fast. Try being topical, and relevant.
Ms. - sheesh. Just.. omerta for gods sake. Lotz has not published all my comments either, but you don't hear me going on about it. Meh - his blog, his life.
end of discussion, as far as Im concerned - take it up in your own comments sections.
Oh, come on, this is funny. All the stuff we write about, all the stuff we post. The Roanoke Times will probably have this in the front page of the Times tomorrow. Ha Ha Ha
Actually, if your one-sided brain wasnt lazy, you'd see that Im not banned from any site, check your facts. In fact, we would love for your topic at UrbanPlanet about whats the picture, make a comeback. Again, your "facts" are wrong. I do not use ANY copyrighted maaterial as of February 15, 2006. Also, I haven't been on my blog in awhile. Get over Roanoke moving foward, their over the past, time to move ahead. Your backwards thinking is something Roanoke doesn't need.
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