So this has been weighing on my mind for a bit now, and I think it's worth saying. This is my blog. It's not CNN, or Fox News, or the BBC, or even a "professional" blog. I get no money or any other sort of benefit for keeping it. I keep this blog for my family and friends, so that they can sort of keep up with what's going on in my life. Primarily, though, I keep this blog for myself. It's mine.
I'm 23 years old. I have a bachelor's degree from a middle-range college. I'm not particularly smart, original, or funny. I have no great spiritual revelations to share with the world. What I am, actually, is a young woman who has struck out on my own in the world, far from my family and the life I grew up with. I need my own space to work through my thoughts, to reflect on my experiences, to ponder, to wonder, to complain. Through the process of having a blog, I have made every effort to be honest. The picture in the sidebar is actually me. The location up top is actually where I am. My name is Lauren, that's true.
What this blog is absolutely not is factual. It's written from the perspective of one person, myself, and while I make an effort to be a reasonable human being in my writing, I don't interview others or conduct polls on what I'm writing about. I don't go back and view replays or slow-mo shots. It's my perspective. It's how I feel. Because while this blog is certainly not factual, I do try to keep it honest. Sometimes I write entries that I read the next day and cringe at my hysterics, but I don't delete or edit them because that is how I felt when I was writing the entry. And for me, it's alright that I'm far from perfect.
I've written entries singing the praises of America, and entries criticizing aspects of it. I've written posts waxing poetic on the glory of Hungary, and posts where I've called the entire nation xenophobic and bitter. I'm sure that next year, I'll write posts where I both love and hate Spain. On the posts where I compliment a country, I generally get no response. But when I criticize something, I get comments. And that's fine, readers, because you are certainly welcome to disagree with me.
BUT. What I do not appreciate is people who have the audacity to tell me how to think, feel, or act. If I am upset, I have the right to be. If I am angry, I have the right to be. If I exaggerate a situation, perhaps that is how it felt from my perspective. If you want objectivity, I do recommend the BBC. If you want the perspective of Lauren, by all means, stay. Disagree. But do not personally attack my perspective, and do have the decency to link to your own blog or include some form of identifying details, as I have done on this blog.
So consider this my disclaimer. This blog is written from the perspective of a 23-year-old girl. It is not objective, enlightening, or even particularly well-written. I won't lie, but I will be biased. I will praise and criticize things based on nothing but my own opinion. I'll also write stupid posts about nothing.
And in 25 years I'll look at this blog and laugh at myself. Until that point, I have this space of mine. Play nice.
1 comment:
Hi!
I'm reading your posts some weeks ago, I found it on Vivvi's blog.
I think you are frustrated now, and I also think that you don't have to be frustrated.(telling you how to act, sorry :]) You are a good person, but cultural differencies are around you. So you need to handle it. When someone is evil just ignore then. In Europe when you are smiling on someone, it is not sure that you will get it back. Which doesn't mean that people are rude. And this works also with words. Mostly they have many problems or are envy, and they want to kill the stress trough someone. And sadly it works well on the internet...
So just keep the smile(inside too). Don't let others to change you or take an influence to your feelings or to get angry or frustrated. (how to act... again sorry :)
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