Pieces of a Whole
/When I was in college, I spent many hours a day writing music and playing the guitar. Many hours. This would have been fine had I been a music major but I was a Psychology major and should have been spending a little more time learning about brain chemistry and a little less time learning picking patterns from cassette tapes. This lifestyle meant that I was never asked to be in a study group with other Psych majors but was often invited to play music for people. I played in dorm rooms, in lounges, outside in the grass and at the occasional campus event. People seemed to enjoy listening and it allowed me to justify all the time I was spending learning songs when I should have been studying. Over time, however, I started thinking that people only liked hanging out with me because I could play and sing. There was so much more to me! There was also the sense of humor and the rugby and the ability to hold my liquor! What about those things?! And then a weird thing happened - I got jealous of myself. I suspect I've probably lost you. Don't be scared - I'm actually a little lost myself. Well, that's not very reassuring but I think I can lead us both out of the knotted undergrowth of my brain. I began to resent the guitar and my voice because I was afraid that people weren't seeing all of me. I wanted to be appreciated in my entirety. I got over it fairly quickly but I remember the feeling so vividly. I remembered this after a conversation today with a friend about whether or not success as a writer is tied to the charm and personality of the writer. I'm not sure why I'm writing about this other than the fact that it's rather interesting to ponder. Of course, I might just be writing about this because I cooked dinner and, when I cook dinner, I like to have an adult beverage while I chop and cook. Whatever. So, what do you think? Can the writing on a blog stand alone or is it made more valuable by the personality behind it?