Friday, May 21, 2010

Writer's Block

It seems like a lot of the blogs I have followed have gone through a bit of a dry spell, where they can go months without a new post. This blog, sadly, has not been immune to that phenomenon. You'd think a guy whose mind is constantly running would never run out of things to say or write about; and in my case, you'd be right. The problem with me has never been a lack of things to speak about. It's always been an issue of taking one of the many thoughts swimming around in my head and running with it. Occasionally, I'll be successful with that. I have a number of blog posts that attest to that fact. However, when I can't settle on one thought, I go nuts trying to hold on to a single coherent thought; and that's when writer's block sets in.

I guess that's been the state of things since my last blog post nearly 5 months ago. I remain unemployed (now going on 15 months), and far more often than I care to admit, my days have been spent watching TV, surfing the internet, and playing The West and Business Tycoon Online among other addictive internet MMOs (massive multiplayer online games). These activities all have one thing in common: they are, for the most part, mindless pursuits and a distraction from the much more mundane activities of day to day life. I will occasionally have the presence of mind to pick up a book, add a bit to a Catholic-themed fantasy story that has become a 6 year long hobby of mine, or even give an RCIA presentation or help out on a young adult retreat when called to do so. But on the whole, I cannot honestly say that I have been making the most constructive use of my time of late.

I would ask for prayers from those who still drop by this blog from time to time. I ask always first and foremost that God's will be done in my life. I just pray that as I continue to discern what that will is to be, that I may be graced with the discipline to structure my life around the daily staples of prayer and pursuits that will actively advance me along the path that God has set down for me.

And one last thing: even though I sometimes have trouble latching on to a single thought and running with it, I am always open to suggestions from others about particular thoughts that I can focus on. If you can think of something that you would like to see me write about and which falls within my competence (whether it is my primary discipline of theology or related fields such as history, philosophy, or politics within a theological context), please feel free to e-mail me. Or even if you want to chat. I am notoriously bad about keeping in touch, but I do tend to be pretty responsive when contacted by others ;) God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald