Humility

every once in a while
I get my eyes opened for me

sometimes it comes in the form
of a compliment from a peer...
and sometimes it comes in listening
to the voice of others....

I've spoken to you before
about the writing of a woman named Crystal
who writes "Boobs, Injuries and Dr Pepper"

Crystal is one of the most intelligent, funny
and gifted on line writers I've ever read
and she is very well read...
each post often garners as many as 100 comments

recently Crystal has been writing a series
not unlike the story I'm currently writing
from my own personal history

only hers is now...not history
it's an erudite epic of grand proportions
and it revolves over/around/through
Crystal experiencing a "breakdown"

I admit when I first began to read
the "Crazy Chronicles"
I was reluctant to get involved
I was somewhat embarrassed for her
I was concerned about her mental health
but not enough to get involved

then over time,
I found myself protective of her
I found myself telling her to continue
to not stop because some boneheads
were sending her emails
suggesting that she was
ruining a good thing

because in my eyes
above all else
blogging isn't about the readership
it's about the writer

one of today's posts on Crystal's blog
is about a monumental occurrence in her life
that also happened to be
a monumental occurrence in mine

I am completely overwhelmed
with the absolute humility
and strength of character
it must take
for this woman
to write the story she's telling
in such detail
without
coming
completely
off
the
rails.
and
I am obliged
to experience
through her writing
a catharsis
of my own...

I am humbled.