Time For a Different Voice

I reread my last post on here yesterday. I got nice feedback about it and I am grateful for that but… I did not enjoy reading it. Too long, too much crammed in one post. Underlying all of this was the fact that, no matter how well written it is, I did not actually enjoy writing it. Personal enjoyment has always been the point of this blog, not making any form of profit or increase in any social standing. I like writing, always have. If I am not enjoying it, not sitting down to type with relish, then something is wrong. So it is time to change the voice.

The (Too Loud) Voice of MS

Multiple Sclerosis has dominated things the last couple of years. Well, eleven actually. It is a relief to write down how it affects me. The relief, though, is reduced by talking too much about it. A quick scan showed that the last twelve posts have been about MS. Twelve! I always said that I would never allow it to define me but… it’s doing just that! It does define what I can and can’t do and one way to cope with the emotions and issues that comes with that is putting them in to words. Do it too often, though, and it becomes the focus of life. All that and, to be honest, I am pretty sick of it at the moment.

Sick of sickness. Brilliant piece of writing there.

Less is More

So, less MS and more of wider life. Music, food, travel. I have hardly mentioned cycling even though I am over five-thousand kilometres this year. Time to talk about more things. Also get back to an economy of words that has been missing. Use fewer words but try to say more with them, mean it. ‘Take what you want to say, reduce it by half and reduce it by half again’. One of my old university professors said that about something I wrote, I can’t remember what that was but it is good to have in the back of my mind now.

A Quieter Voice

Through this phase of mucking around I will also cut down on Social Media with the blog. I will not back out completely. It feels disrespectful to just pull the plug but also too self-indulgent to expect all posts to be read whilst I am messing around. This will not be some dramatic withdrawal from social media which has it’s benefits for all the flaws. I will just not flood the various feeds with blog posts. No complete withdrawal, I like seeing what friends are doing and, despite the surplus noise, there is still useful information out there.

Going Forward

There will be blog posts, though, just with less fanfare. I will take the opportunity to apologise to subscribers, better update the spam filters, folks! Shorter pieces, written more rapidly about lots of things. Trying to have a little more fun while finding that voice.

Something one of my old university professors said comes to mind. ‘Take what you want to say, reduce it by half and reduce it by half again’. I can’t remember what he was talking about. Good to bear in mind going forward. Will be interesting to see just what comes out.