Please read this article I wrote about my favorite Mormon mommy blogger who isn’t a fan of the undergarments and other interesting bits.
Someone asked me if I didn’t also read that other Mormon mommy blogger, that ex-Mormon mommy blogger. The one who is drop-dead funny, skinny, blonde, rich and popular. Yes of course I do. Anyone who hasn’t yet dropped dead probably does. It’s alluring. Hers is an altogether better looking, smarter sounding life than mine. She has so many readers talking back to her that she has to close her comments. When that happens, it’s no longer communication; it’s entertainment. Damn funny entertainment. Entertainment is good.
And yet a long time ago I came to my own crossroads about my entertainment choices. I came to the spot where I learned, the way all hard lessons are learned, how far I could go by entertaining my own good looks and cleverness. How long I could last on my acerbic wit and abrasive tongue. How far I could fly on style and chemical highlights. One thing I learned is that too much chemistry can lead to the day your hair falls out! And so while I find entertainment entertaining, I do not find that it goes the distance on a daily basis. I don’t know about your daily basis, but my daily basis often requires a stronger salve.
Faith is what goes the distance. Not a certain kind of faith, mind you. But faith in action. Faith in trial and error. Faith that cannot always be trivialized or repudiated. Faith that is sometimes difficult and demanding and entirely unreasonable.
On faith alone, then, go and read whatever you like, but read the article too.
My pitiable little comments are open.
Gah .. I hate that picture … the boy parts .. just, ick.
Blah, anyway … Thank you for the article – it is so nice, even my grandmother-in-law approved! I’ve said it umpteen million times, and every time I go check my little site meter … and every five minutes when I open my email and no one is throwing rocks at me …
THANK YOU!
Comment by Mrs. B. Roth — February 25, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
Faith in action, faith in trial and error, faith in communication, in connecting. Faith in comments. For comments, here and at home, I am so thankful. And also happy to have been turned on the religious dispatches. I loved the interview!
Comment by jena strong — February 25, 2009 @ 7:38 pm
Karen,
In my past (blog) life, I aimed straight for the popularity. I am naturally inclined to find and relay all things humorous. On days that I wrote about something funny, I noticed more comments, more traffic. But, soon, it turned into The Cam Show. I even attacked Winnie the Pooh for laughs once. I have remorse.
The truth was that I was hiding behind that role of the clown. I have my whole life. It's a tried & true defense mechanism.
I don't even know how I found your blog, but I would come by and read your previous posts, and visit your linked blogs. The longer I exposed myself to these powerful & gentle, peaceful women (including you)I began to believe that I could write from my soul. My life was in a state of constant turmoil, and downplaying it for laughs was not sifting that experience for its gold.
Cheerio Road has taken me to places that have changed my outlook. Thank you for these links this week, they have provided much entertainment & knowledge while I have been contending with a stomach flu…yuck!
Comment by Cam@Journey Wildly — February 25, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
i like dooce but envy? really? her life has been so bitter. i’m glad she’s found a niche in life that doesn’t hurt her. i hope everybody does as well. i don’t think any amount of beauty, wealth, or praise can grant that.
your book did me a lot of good, i wish you the best.
Comment by Anonymous — February 25, 2009 @ 10:32 pm
I read it already. The Mysterious Mrs. B Roth beat you to the link. 😉 And I actually don’t read dooce. I tried for a while, but I just didn’t get the appeal. But I’ve cut out reading all the bloggers I don’t have relationships with. I’d rather invest in the relationships than the entertainment.
Comment by Mary P Jones (MPJ) — February 25, 2009 @ 11:22 pm
Yes, anon, envy is unattractive. But what can I say? My nose is sometimes bigger than it looks!
Comment by Karen Maezen Miller — February 25, 2009 @ 11:28 pm
Your pitiable comments are not near so pitiable as mine. Guess I’m not too witty. ;o)
Off to read about undergarments and the like …
Comment by Shalet — February 25, 2009 @ 11:37 pm
I’ll read Cheerio Road (and comment) as long as you write. You speak to my soul.
Loved the interview – thanks for sharing.
Comment by Nikole — February 26, 2009 @ 1:05 am
Comments: quality not quantity dear lady.
I don’t care for snarky, therefore I stick with the nice people because snarky isn’t nice. You seem nice.
And well done, you! Love the article.
Comment by Kristin H. — February 26, 2009 @ 3:36 am
Thank you for the link. Faith. Aah faith…
Comment by Puanani — February 26, 2009 @ 3:56 am
Beautiful post. Thank you.
Comment by Anonymous — February 26, 2009 @ 8:08 am
Love your paragraph on Faith. It speaks in so many languages.
Don’t judge yourself on the number of comments. I’m sure I’m not the only lurker!
Comment by Leigh — February 26, 2009 @ 11:23 am
There’s a place for irreverence and a place for faith. I think you and Heather have it in equal amounts, as you’ve both, through your words, been able to pull me back from the edge. It’s subjective, isn’t it? I like knowing where to go for what I need.
Just looking at those undergarments makes me itch.
Comment by Lisa — February 26, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
Good point Lisa. It all goes into the soup. But let’s not equate faith with reverence. In my faith there is no reverence. Reverence is extra and in my faith there is nothing extra. “No holiness,” we say. There is a certain place you realize that “no holiness means “everything is holy.” Everything is. Just what it is.
Comment by Karen Maezen Miller — February 26, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
Loved the interview — it’s nice to have my preconceptions smashed on a regular basis!
I don’t many comments on my blog, but once in a while one comment makes me realize that my blog is doing what I hope it will, and that keeps me going. On faith.
Comment by Judy Merrill-Smith — February 26, 2009 @ 7:03 pm
Great article and post! It’s really amazing who you find on the blogs and the connections we make from it.
I, for one, am impressed and perhaps a wee bit envious of ‘that’ blogger with the blog name that has now become a verb.
Maybe the same will happen with this one and perhaps someday we can all talk about how we’ve been ‘mommazenned’!
Comment by Lana — February 27, 2009 @ 10:02 am
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Ruth
http://besttoddler.com
Comment by Tessa — April 1, 2009 @ 2:32 am
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Ruth
http://besttoddler.com
Comment by Tessa — April 1, 2009 @ 2:33 am