Wings to fly....

My blog - almost purely self-referential as it may be to date - is but a fledgling bird so far. It has wings that are visible to all as its potential, but it can't yet fly on its own.

It has taken its first few gulps of air and has even been fed once or twice, but it is far from being able to fly on its own.

It hasn't had the attention paid to it that is necessary for it to develop its own identity and personality, for it to stand on its feet proudly secure in its knowledge of itself. No one knows yet if it will grow into a success or a failure - if it will leap from the nest and fall to the earth or soar in the sky.

It is barely an adolescent and must be fed much more if it is to thrive and grow. And even then, it could be a sullen and surly teen or a vibrant contributer to the community it inhabits.

Yet my journal is still jealous! Silbling rivalry is rampant between the two. My journal has been nourished for years through nervous steps into new worlds and the triumphs and set backs of my professional path. It has witnessed and revelled in the growth of love and it has empathized with the anguish of seperation.

But it need not fear - it is still equally cherished as a fellow traveller and a confidant - it still has its unique and special charm and is irreplaceable in those exact ways. It has been ignored before and it will be again, sadly, but it will always be remembered and returned to.

For the Internet, if it teaches us one thing, teaches us that there is a true need for separation between the public and the private. There are thoughts and ideas to be shared with the world at large and there are emotions and urges to be trusted to a close friend and confidant - like my journal or my closest friends in the world. Whereever they be.