Happy Anniversary Baby

Being somewhat of a sentimental type, I would be remiss if I did not mention that today marks the first anniversary of Friends, Romans. What a year it has been. I started a new job, saw the end of my current mortgage term draw ever nearer, and one day a blogger by the name of Yazmar left a post on my blog. How she found me, I'll never know. But I'm glad that she did, because it gave me access to a whole other realm of blogs and bloggers that I otherwise might never have found.

This past week and being quite run down, I ended up catching the Marine's cold. Given the timing at work, I decided that I had had enough, and that it was as good a time as any to take a week of well deserved vacation. I honestly thought I could hang in there until the fall, but it was not to be. As Karyn White sang "I'm not your superwoman", thus a week of sleep ins and a facial is upon me.

So over the next week, I have some things I'd like to get caught up on blogging wise, but I've decided to start a new and exclusive series: The Best of Friends, Romans. This is my selection of what I feel were my best entries over the past year, and to that end, here is the one that started it all.

STEADY THE BUFFS LONDON
Originally blogged: July 7, 2005

On the spur of the moment, I decided today that I would start a blog. I decided that I too would join the myriad of people that are compelled to post their innermost thoughts online, most of which never get read.

Blogs. What is this phenomenon and why is it happening? I don't know. For me, I suppose it is the concept that in some way, a great deal of loneliness is quelled. It's the same feeling I get when I read other blogs like Ragdoll's and think "Yeah, I feel that way too." And to be honest, I just love to write and the thought that I'll actually be read is incentive enough to keep at it. But to post a blog is to ultimately pursue an ephemeral validation. You may be read, but are you understood? Do you connect? Does anyone care? Most, if not all of the time, you will never know.

And in thinking about my motivation to start blogging now, the concept of the great world out there and our fundamental connection to each other is front and centre with the bombings that have taken place in London today.

For me, terrorism has always been essentially ironic. So much time and planning are applied to creating chaos. Months, years even, are spent planning attacks and bombings. And the results? People rebuild and go on because that's what people do. The terrorist gains momentary attention, but ultimately little ground. For those that are attacked, the resolve to resist is only strengthened.

Terrorism illustrates the very definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result the next time.

And I have this sinking feeling that somehow it was thought (I use the term loosely) on the part of these terrorists that maybe they would have another post-Madrid result on their hands. This is just a gut feel, and I would laugh if today's events hadn't resulted in so much misery for so many.

No matter what the British populace may think of its government, the Iraq war, or any other issue, they are not divided about anything today. Today there are many prayers of hope, thanks and wailing loss being raised.

Many a kettle's on for tea.

As for Tony Blair, his future will be decided by Britons, not by some coward with an explosive tie on who took the bus this morning.

Christ, what a waste.