samedi, février 13, 2010

Behind the curtain? Another curtain....




As I traverse the blogosphere, I have noticed that a number of my sister and brother posters have what might be called, without any criticism intended, a "schtick."




Some primarily write about relationships. Others hone in on what it is like to seek love, sex and marriage from the perspective of a suburban dad or a rural single mother. Some blog as a sidebar while working on a book or as an athlete or a professor... and others use blogging as a way to highlight a cause that they believe in.




It's hard to tell who they really are when they aren't posting, of course.


Actually, it's harder in some cases -- the closer one is to being a professional writer, the easier it sometimes is to hide behind the words.




But rarely do they seem to shift personas and lenses with the predictable unpredictability you will find on this page.




If you were being charitable, you could see that I am writer who has a fondness for viewing personal and political issues from many perspectives.




If you didn't want to cut me a lot of slack, you could also say that I'm undisciplined, and perhaps a little unfocused, a flighty flitter.




I have a serious side -- the punditista, the world events commentator, the progeny of eggheads aye unto the tenth or so generation. The fact that I'm ordained gives me a bit more gravitas (anyone want to barf yet?)


And then there is the aspiring pop culture vixen. Slightly cheeky, she's provocative, clued in, and interested in helping you become, well, more authentically you.


I've seen lots of blog writers who pan with a pretty wide lens -- but not a lot who so publicly play out this conflict in front of their reader.


Questions for my fellow bloggers and readers in general:


* If you are a blogger: do you have a particular virtual persona (and if you decide to answer this, please try to be as candid as possible)?


* How close is it who you are when you are offstage?


*Do you ever wonder what bloggers are like in "realtime?"


Or are you as changeable as a storm, a dust cloud, shadows and sunlight?






jeudi, février 11, 2010

Losing Faith in Government: My WaPo commentary

Apologies -- somehow they moved the commentary. But it is linked above.

Here it is.

mercredi, février 10, 2010

I'm so excited....

We've got an endless expanse of white out there....and every time I go out to shovel a bit back onto what I guess is the lawn, more comes down to replace it.

But today I spoke with my editor at the local paper where I write a monthly, or sometimes a twice a month commentary. His editor says that they want to have me write a monthly advice column!

Yes, I know it's not going to win any Pulitzers. But man, it's going to be fun. So, please, send questions my way!

More on this new column as I figure out the perameters. Advice is welcome! What topics should be included. What maybe shouldn't be.

How about a good title? "Ask Pastor Elizabeth" sounds kinda lame to me, so I'm eager to get your ideas.

Gotta love this Poynter Sisters video -- it's a little off topic, but it sizzles.

mardi, février 09, 2010

Faith and that three-letter word


I know that God struck some people dead in their tracks.


In the Bible.
Turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.
Ananais and Saphira didn't fare too well, either.


But I thought that they were unrepentant sinners, not eggheads.


When I mention to some random guys, soon after beginning what might be promising friendships and maybe something a bit more, that I happen to believe in a power greater than myself (or even than himself), he comes to a screeching halt.


Kidding, right? Believe in God? You got two master's degrees for THAT?


Is it that smart people don't believe in God?


Or maybe some allegedly smart people think that those who believe in God ought to hand in those summa's and 4.0's right now, y'all hear?
Because the theists are unscientific, puritannical tetotallers who only take their socks off when they are having sex. After all, the human race MUST go on.
Or is it that there are a lot of intellectuals who simply don't give a fig about the "big questions", or had a bad experience in church or synagogue a long time ago and have never darkened the red doors again?
I don't know why men and women who are tolerant of a whole spectrum of rights find themselves so intolerant when it comes to the F word.
But those brave enough to conquer their prejudgments often find that we faith folks are diverse in our politics and ideas and hopes. Perhaps we share more with them than they know.
We sometimes even like to shock.
Take me, for instance.
I save my wooly socks for wearing with boots while I shovel snow.