I have written in my blog EVERY DAY for – what is it now? – 11 and two-thirds years, roughly. I always say I write for myself, and that IS true. But it IS nice that someone actually reads what I write.
I was at breakfast with my pastors and a bunch of the Bible guys. I was talking about something to one of my pastors, the one with the light Virginia accent, and she said, “Oh, I read that in your blog!” And I said to myself that this pleased me.
So I guess I’m NOT so pure of heart as to be happy writing a daily blog that no one reads. One of the best things I figured out was how to post my blogs automatically to Twitter and Facebook, and that one act has made my blog accessible to a lot more people.
Do you know what else makes me happy? When someone like Arthur appropriates something from my blog in his. Earlier this month, the AmeriNZ guy did it ’s ‘Ask Arthur’ time again thing. This engaged me at a level beyond what I would have expected. It’s some sort of validation. And I thinkKNOW that sometimes I need that more than others. Right now, I seem to need it a lot.
And speaking of need, I NEED you to Ask Roger Anything. I’ve been surprised that seldom does anyone ask me anything particularly uncomfortable. Uncomfortable is OK. I mean that you may ask me ANYTHING at all and I promise to respond, generally within a month.
I will answer your queries to the best of my ability, though know that memory is an imperfect beast. I practically GUARANTEE a bit of obfuscation, because you know you want me to.
You can leave your comments below. If you prefer to remain anonymous, that’s fine; you should e-mail me at rogerogreen (AT) gmail (DOT) com, or end me an IM on Facebook (make sure it’s THIS Roger Green, the one with the duck) and note that you want to remain unmentioned; otherwise, I’ll assume you want to be cited.
Howdo wehave to deal with racists? Whenever I want to tell about people who are discriminated against, there is always someone who denies it.
BoyOhBoyOhBoy, have I been waiting for THIS! You asked me a LOT of awesome questions, but one I thought of for you keeps popping into my head, and it’s heavy:
About a year ago (and probably early this year), many political commentators were saying the President Obama would be regarded as “one of the most consequential presidents in US history”. Given that the Orange Guy and his Republican Congress are poised to undo everything President Obama accomplished over the past 8 years (and pretty much every good thing done by all presidents, Republican and Democratic, over the past several decades…), do you think the pundits’ assessment is now laughable? Or, will it be that Obama’s image will soar, much as even Bush the Second is already being seen as “not so bad, really…” in light of the Orange Guy about to take over? I’m not asking about President Obama’s legacy so much as to what extent will he be relevant when all his work is undone?
Also:
What the hell should we call the Orange Guy? I personally don’t want to use his surname, title, or anything else that would indicate respect for him that I don’t have. What’s the alternative(s) without being too childish?
Where are you at now with the whole “abolish the Electoral College” thing? How do you address Republicans’ belief that if the EC was abolished, big states (California, New York, etc.) would solely choose the winner?
Do you personally chafe at the name “Liberal Christianity”, or do you see the name as a necessary counter-balance to the assumption that all Christians (Protestants in particular) are conservatives?
Given how awful Christians—conservatives in particular, but even mainline Protestant churches—have treated LGBT people in the past (and fundamentalists still do), how do you think reconciliation could be achieved? Could that be a model for reconciling other segments of society that are divided because of past antipathy?
All things considered—interpret that as you want—are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future? If pessimistic, what are a couple things that if they changed might make you more optimistic? And if you’re optimistic, what’s your secret?!
Should VR murder be banned?
I may think of more later…
I blog just since 2006 so nearly when you also started. For me it was a satisfaction that finally somebody read what I wrote, because I have always loved to write ! Then the fact that you start to know so many people of different nationalities all over the world is so interesting. I have no particular question I try to read through the lines !
Thank you, Gattina.
Is it just wishful thinking that I increasingly see Trump as the somewhat accidental victory of a dying worldview, ultimately abetted by a weird quirk in our electoral system (a quirk that, for all the defense it gets, has not been replicated ANYWHERE on Earth in anybody else’s electoral system)? I think things are likely to get pretty cruddy short-term, but I remain optimistic long-term. Am I dumb to think that?
What IS it with this country’s refusal to adopt rail as a serious method of transportation?
What’s the thing you remember doing as a kid that drove your parents bonkers? (I’m talking harmless stuff here, nothing like playing with matches. Mine was to flick those spring-things with the rubber tip that keep the door from smacking into the wall as it opens. You pull those things over and let them go and you get this fun, loud BRRROOOOIIINNNGGG! sound as the spring snaps. Drove my mother NUTS.)
There’s a lot of discussion in the writing world about the extent to which white people should attempt to write from the viewpoints of marginalized people. Do you have a view on this? Should a white person write, say, a fictional memoir of a slave in Mississippi?
What drove Assange to start WikiLeaks? Do you think he’s white, gray or black hat? Has your opinion of Assange or Snowden changed at all due to the leaks and Russian involvement?
I haven’t read your blog lately due to busy 🙁 but I love your blog.
*also I nominalized busy intentionally.
How do you smooth over rough edges with friends? Do you ignore it, broach the subject, etc.?
What’s your favorite tradition at your church?
Have you ever written poetry? When? Did you ever show it to anyone?