Yes, another damn blog has entered the world…at 3am on this what feels like an already-humid and somewhat sticky morning. It’s probably not the best time to attempt a stunning display of masterly on-line writing (but hey, it’s 4pm in Japan, where I was born and whose time schedule I still seem to be living on, twenty years after having moved away…). But, in any event, I shouldn’t worry; this blog is more likely to be a welcome of myself to myself, given that I really can’t expect anyone to take interest in whatever drivel I put out – except myself, of course.
I’ve not yet established blogging dexterity, so I’ll allow that this will take some getting used to. I only very infrequently visit my various journals, and so why should I think that I’d make it a habit to blog everyday or nearly everyday – and there’s no point in blogging unless one tries to keep it up. (Is there anything more irritating in the on-line world than coming across a blog or even a site that hasn’t been updated in weeks, or even months?) At the same time, however, I seem to have become tethered to my Mac, like one of the many fellow students, bloggers, and procrastinators at the nearby Tea Lounge (well, I guess I shouldn’t make assumptions about what other people are doing with their time). But too, I’ve also spent a lot of time reading various blogs and found out: look hard enough, and you’ll find funny, informative, educative, crazy people! Wow, I was such an anti-blog snob! It’s not a waste of time! (oh wait, I really should get back to my paper…)
About ‘Union Street’: I was lucky, about a year ago, to find a neat little place here on Union Street, here in Brooklyn. This after living for about ten years in various hovels, utility closets, shoeboxes, etc. that pass for ‘apartments’ in Manhattan. Light! Space! Breathing room! Friendly people! Unfortunately, even higher rent! But even if it’s a cliche, it’s true – a change of scenery can do wonders. Depressed? Frustrated? Move!
About me: a mid-career graduate student. I.e., I left my job to pursue a PhD in education and sociology; I decided I didn’t want to die without a doctorate. No real aspirations to make the world better, just rather to satisfy my own academic vanity. But, I don’t regret the decision even though it may be costing me my financial future. Being able to spend one’s life pursuing potentially useless research and pointless questions (even if one’s aspirations are otherwise, the risk is always there) is a privilege. How did we reach a stage in social evolution (or historical development, or just plain ‘history’) in which so many people can do this sort of thing on a routine basis is in fact one of the questions I think about.
