Samual Johnson, 
an 18th century author, is quoted as saying, “What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.”
Dr. Johnson has gotten inside my head. To summarize so succinctly my angst in being the author of this blog from more than 2 centuries in the past is truly mind boggling. But what he doesn’t elaborate upon is that sometimes the effort itself is a hindrance to the creation of the written word in the first place. It would be easy to spew drivel about the humdrum of daily life simply for the sake of journalizing it. If this blog-o-mine wasn’t put on public display, perhaps it would be a diary of the monotony of daily life spattered with the occasional highlight interesting only to myself and those directly connected with my life’s events.
But it is put on public display. For that reason, there is a certain pressure to provide something worth reading. This pressure translates into effort. This effort is what, according to Johnson, allows me to write something pleasurable to read. But this pressure can also be paralyzing. This pressure can cause a performance anxiety of sorts. This pressure to perform, to entertain, to appear competent can be self destructive. The world will see this. Actually, only about 1 billionth of the world’s population will actually read it, but the pressure is there nonetheless.
For this reason alone, I have a level of respect for anyone that attempts to do this. I admire anyone who attempts to publicly display their thoughts, their words, their feelings, their sense of humour, their goals, and even their vulnerabilities.
My nephew entered the blogosphere today. He did so without fanfare. He didn’t publicly announce it. But as wonderfully vast as the web can be, it is impossible to hide. You are out there Ronnie, and now I’m telling others! I admire your courage as you publicly display your wares. Good luck, and welcome aboard. You are now one of us. I hope Flip or Fantasy becomes a regular watering hole for those of us thirsty for a pleasurable read. If your first post is any indication (cleverly titled by the way), good ol’ Sam Johnson has some good readin’ to look forward to. And so do I.
