The Blog Police

I've been noticing more and more how bloggers out there think it's their responsibility to "patrol" other people's blogs and leave them "advice." I wonder whether we should be giving advice when it isn't asked for... I wonder why we should assume that people want to be "helped." I wonder whether we should assume that people don't know anything to begin with when everyone has a mind of their own, everyone has a conscience, and everyone has a reason for doing the things they want to do in their lives. What satisfaction do others get from "correcting" other people?

I've seen this on so many of the blogs I frequent and I've seen it on my own. Big Brother in any form we should not attempt to be...

After the March Break my students will be reading 1984, Brave New World, & The Handmaid's Tale. I think the books are fitting - maybe not so much for them as for me, but fitting nonetheless.

Today is International Women's Day. When I read the paper this morning, THIS article leapt out at me. It describes what I wanted to say a few blog posts ago but didn't know how.

[...] "are you a practising, authentic Muslim?" This is the first time my "authenticity" as a Muslim has been questioned. This doesn't surprise me. Today Muslim women have to prove their authenticity. The way we dress, the way we choose to practise our faith, our leadership and our daring to be different – all this is under attack by those who want to tell us how to be Muslim according to their interpretations [...]

Back to the subject of the blog police: Petty people are not rare in this world. To quote Margaret Atwood "You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself" (The Handmaid's Tale). I often feel want when I see someone who has a gorgeous pair of shoes or someone whose hair always seems to be perfectly in place. I'll wish I could have those shoes, and that my hair could look like that, and then after awhile those feelings go away. But on 'bigger' issues, how can we feel jealous when someone else is experiencing happiness? If someone is happy, why bother them? Why not let them be happy how they want to be happy, and just concentrate on your own happiness? I think there's so much more in this world that we need to concentrate on, like some of the issues listed in the above linked article. THOSE are the important things in life. But we can never help other people, people who desperately need help, unless we stop trying to help people who don't want help at all. We can only get there when we move beyond our own pettiness.

My students are annoyed that I'm assigning them reading over the March Break. Apparently this reduces my coolness status. God forbid, it's English class, I'm not sure what they expected to be assigned, drawing!? :D Well, while they're reading, I'll be catching up on some of my own reading - for pleasure. Anyone want to recommend a good book? I'm only the teeniest bit jealous that many people I know are going away for the break. Okay, change that teeniest to a lot! Well, I'm happy that some people get to do something that makes them happy (like going away to sunny destinations), but I'd love to be that happy too! I'd give anything to be reading my book on a warm sunny beach...