It's time to say 'good-bye' for a while. Not forever, but for a time yet to be determined.
Here are some uncomfortable facts.
Here are some uncomfortable facts.
(1) It has been over a month since there has been a new post on the Gryphem blog.
(2) It has been over two months since there has been an original post of broad interest.
(3) The Gryphem blog is languishing.
A few readers have asked what's going on. I am gratified that they care. To them, I offer apologies and an explanation. I confess to poor structural form in this post, particularly with regard to switching from first to third person and back. I am not trying to get an ‘A’ in English, but to express some important things with sincerity and honesty.
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The Gryphem blog still exists. You might say Gryphem is taking a break. One reason is an extreme increase in the pace of change and incidence of crises in the personal life of the author. Another is the technical changes imposed by Blogspot, which make it much more difficult to post, and nearly impossible to post the illustrations which have been an important part of most Gryphem articles.
As you may have guessed, though, there is another issue that goes beyond these. Gryphem began as a place to share observations, concerns, blessings, and humor. In recent months it has become more and more morose. In the early days Gryphem posted pieces that reflected daily life, sometimes centered in concerns, sometimes in humor. Politics and big social issues were rarely the topic. That was intentional. There were (and are) too many political and problem-oriented blogs already. Neither political topics nor big controversial issues were off-limits, but they were not the point of the blog. And they never should have been.
Despite good intentions, though, the Gryphem blog gradually became more political and problem-oriented. The author has become a casualty of the hyper-partisanship infecting our society. As a true moderate surrounded by extremists of all persuasions, he allowed himself to become despondent about the intolerance of the people, about the refusal of hyper-partisans to see any point of view other than their own.
As a person of faith and goodwill, Gryphem allowed himself to be negatively impacted by the overwhelming hatred of those who disagreed with him, especially the angry atheists. [Yes, I know not all atheists are hateful. The ones who are have injured me, though.]
As an honest man and a lover of truth, Gryphem was damaged by the creeping realization that the people as a whole are becoming less and less concerned with truth or solutions, and more and more concerned with vindication and blaming the opposition.
The self-assigned motivation for the Gryphem blog, however unspoken (and perhaps even unrealized) turned out to be an intense desire to fix the world - or at least our American society. Understandably, this became a source of angst. Gryphem began to feel something similar to combat fatigue.
In addition to offering some actual solutions, Gryphem also has undertaken to improve the level of dialogue between opponents on a variety of issues. Ever motivated, he tried (as he always has) to educate the ignorant, calm the enraged, and spread tolerance to the people. He tried (as he always has) to bring some good-natured understanding and mutual acceptance to the public discourse, to enable even those who disagree with each other to live in peace and good-natured cooperation.
Sometimes the results were inspirational. Sometimes the results were depressing. You might say that Gryphem is caught somewhere between idealism and cynicism. Now, he needs some time off to cure the hurt that has come when the best wisdom and compassion he has been able to muster has been met with ignorance, anger, and sometimes scorn. He needs to take a step back, to reorient away from politics and toward matters of social or individual concern, away from drama and tragedy and toward humor, away from anxiety and toward the wonders and little miracles all around in everyday life. Gryphem wants to refocus away from “look at what’s wrong,” to “look at what’s important.” He needs to redirect away from how bad things may be, and toward amazing wonders of humanity, divinity, and nature that are too often overlooked.
Gryphem does not want this blog to be the opinion piece on the evening news, focusing our attention on this problem or that one. Yes, we do need enlightened commentators and advocates to speak out in support of important causes. They have an important job to do. But even the commentator who uncovers corruption or highlights injustice, who explains clearly and helps resolve bad situations, exists within an overriding dysfunction. He or she is speaking from within our pervasive focus on what is bad, what is wrong, problems mundane or horrific. He or she may be helping improve our world in some ways, but rarely does a commentator help us perceive and acknowledge the wonders of life all around us, so often overlooked.
This Gryphem blog should not strive primarily to focus your attention on problems. Not even when coupled with good ideas about how to improve things. The Gryphem blog should be a different voice, one capable of expressing joy as well as angst. One that will focus on the marvels of life all around, rather than on the troubles of the moment. One that will help us all be more engaged with our human family and the natural world that sustains us. One that will engender cooperation and mutual respect instead of the controversy and disrespect that characterize so much of our public dialogue. The Gryphem blog needs to reorient itself toward life, joy, and love.
Constant anger and outrage are no way to live. Living should be about smelling the flowers, feeling the sunshine, and loving the children. Gryphem intends to extricate himself and this blog from the mire of existential angst that characterizes our public conversation.
The time has come for Gryphem to reestablish an ethical high ground based on affirmation rather than condemnation. The time has come to regain a healthy perspective.
The decision to suspend the Gryphem blog for a time has been difficult, in part because new tracking functions on Blogspot indicate that readership is quite a bit more than previously imagined. I am grateful for that. Even so, a time out is absolutely necessary. It will be a short one, I hope, but time will tell.
Gryphem will return as a blog that is not depressing and rarely angry. Gryphem will return as a blog characterized by respect, gratitude, and joy. Most of the time, anyway.
Of course we all know that even when the new and improved Gryphem returns in wonder and serenity, he will inevitably need to focus, once in a while, on this problem or that. To ignore issues that need to be discussed simply because they are not pleasant would be disingenuous, on a par with naysayers who refuse to say anything nice or conciliatory even when it might be warranted. So those types of topics will still be discussed, sometimes. But even when problems must be addressed, there should be a context of engaged creativity. Solutions should be offered. Hope should be in evidence. Damnation for its own sake is always to be rejected, and even posts about problems should be emcompassed within an overarching attitude of compassion. Being blessed, and being a blessing, is mostly about attitude.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for your faithfulness. Gryphem is leaving for a while on sabbatical, to cultivate the proper attitude and create a proper context of positive emotion and faith which should characterize the next chapter in the story of the Gryphem blog. Gryphem will reengage, in a little while.
Thank You, and Good Night. I'll See You in the Morning.
Gryphem
“Whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
- Paul of Tarsus (New Testament book of Philippians, chapter 4, verse 8)
