The Blank Page­­

 

Am I staring at it or is it staring at me? I could say anything, but not just anything comes from my soul and not just anything will touch another soul. Sometimes the words flow much faster than the spelling and grammar can keep up with. Other times, the page taunts me. The words are a release and putting them down feels great, but I wonder if the results are the least bit meaningful to anyone else.

I am beginning something fresh as I strike out to become one of those whose canvas is the page. I hope that the weight of ideas is matched by the power of the expression.

Many years of feeling “not quite right” about things has given way to a few years of being totally convinced that things are seriously screwed up. I am almost amused by the windy, bumpy road that caused me to feel uncomfortable, to voice concerns, and to eventually be looked at like I was some sort of freakish, disgruntled troublemaker. Yet, that hard brick wall has morphed into a gateway for something new.

What is the place of words in an age in which government and corporations blur the lines and rapidly expand their control? Is there a role for symbols on paper and computer screens when most of us are shockingly closer to serfdom? Can words make a difference as the structures of our society fail us by becoming unresponsive and uncaring toward those they supposedly serve? In this age of Twitter length attention spans, will anyone pay attention to written communication intended for a post middle school audience? Do we even care about truth or will we allow lesser distractions to keep us from engagement?

We are reaching the tipping point. The “outsiders” and underdogs are becoming the majority.  How will we respond? Reformation? Tons of resistance and battle scars. Revolution? Usually bloody and often results in something just as bad. Re-creation?

Some call it, changing the system by ignoring it. It’s not battle; it’s imagination and experimentation, it’s common sense, it’s caring about the people that others try to push from our gaze. You might think of it as alternative approaches to social service, a life of faith, education, poverty, employment, customer service and a bunch of other things crying out for something more effective.

Advocacy and change through creativity is not the only thing I will write about here, but it will be a reoccurring theme. So, I will make this a hub for my writings and things will be pretty busy with new articles every week.

I hope that you will check in from time to time, but more importantly, I hope you will leave a comment, because conversation will make it better.

Thanks!

Got to go stare down another blank page.

About Glenn

Glenn Hager is a blogger, former newspaper columnist, and author of two books, An Irreligious Faith and Free Range Faith.
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