Random Thoughts

1. On Compliments.

How important is the role of a compliment in our lives, I wonder?

In Indonesia, people are supposed to be "falsely humble" when they receive a compliment. For example, if someone admires your house and compliments it, you're "supposed to" say something like this, "Ahhhh...not really. This's just a regular kind of house." After moving here, I feel the cultural shift. People are more open to giving and receiving compliments just like that.

Another thing I want to point out is: how well do we receive compliments? Sometimes we feel we aren't entitled to some kind of compliment so that we shrug if off instead of sincerely receiving it.

Another funny thing about a compliment is that if someone that has a higher rank than yourself gives you a compliment that you feel you don't deserve (yet), you may feel the pressure to prove yourself to that person (especially if it happens in a working environment). Or you may feel afraid that you'd disappoint them.

I have to say that there were times I felt some people valued me too highly and it made me feel awkward. I began to feel afraid I would disappoint them and I began to feel tensed whenever I talked to them. I know they meant well by giving me compliments, yet it became like a big burden on my back. Ironic, isn't it? Because I think we DO need compliments.

It feels WONDERFUL to know that someone out there appreciates us, appreciates what we've been doing. We need compliments to validate how good we've been playing our roles on earth. On the other hand, if we don't feel that we're entitled to get the compliments, then the effect of the compliment may be nullified.

2. On Blogging.

One thing I find SO relieving and awesome about the blogosphere is the degree of open-mindedness of fellow bloggers. Back in Indo, you're "expected" to hide all the taboo things (that's if you don't want to be judged). Here in the blogosphere, I find that they don't judge you for being humans. I know that there are some stories of my life that I'll probably never write in my blog since I'm afraid that Indo people might read them and then judge me. I know it's silly, but it's hard to get that out of my system. I know what Indo people are capable of doing (I'm not saying that ALL Indo are like this, OK? But the mindset of many Indo people are STILL like that), so I prefer to stay safe.

Back to the topic. The other day I told my closest friends how HAPPY I was with blogging. I told them that it was enough for me to have blog friends and I couldn't understand why some people were worried about my lifestyle (read: my being a bit of a loner). One of them said, "I can understand how SATISFYING it is to have a blogging community. However, lots of outgoing people who've never tried blogging will think that you're missing A LOT from life by spending lots of time alone or in the blogosphere. They don't understand that you find the lot that they think you're missing IN AND FROM the blogosphere."

I nodded when I read those words. SO true!!! I guess not everybody understands how therapeutic and rewarding blogging is and they thought that I was missing A LOT from life. Ahhhh...the joy of understanding something new from another point of view he he he he...

OK, enough babbling. Time to enjoy the sun again. I'm going to try to make brownies tomorrow, I think. *crossing my fingers*