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The Human Side
Blogger James Joyner unexpectedly lost his wife last night.
I haven’t been posting lately due to reasons implied by this very post, actually. But I wanted to use this opportunity to point out something that seems obvious but is usually ignored in the political blogosphere: bloggers are human beings with normal human problems. Bloggers have families, partners, and friends. Bloggers face health crises, death of loved ones, divorces, and the joys and tragedies of children. Bloggers have jobs, and bloggers lose jobs, and bloggers try to keep their jobs in difficult economic times. Bloggers matriculate, graduation, receive promotions, suffer demotions, get fired, laid off, and cut back.
Just something to keep in mind, if you care.
10 Responses to “The Human Side”
Here’s hoping that it wasn’t one of the sad events.
If it was, my sympathy.
I hope you didn’t quit because someone hurt your feelings. James’ sad event was personal for me because I consider him to be a friend even though we have never met. We didn’t agree on a lot of issues although that has been changing and have had many valuable debates with him both via email and in the comments section. I am the 24/7 care giver for my 89 year old mother. I’m not sure if sudden death is worse than simply fading or not – daily sad events VS sudden ones. I blog because I have opinions and quite frankly it is often my only contact with the outside world. When I agree with someone I will say so – when I don’t I will also say so. Yes I have been attacked but life is too important to take it seriously or let it change my activities.
All you guys are contributors and I thank you for that.
Good points Logan, unfortunately there are too many bloggers and pundits that have forgotten their readers are also human. I am not speaking of you and am speaking broadly here, but too many bloggers pride themselves on being “edgy”, “not afraid to speak their mind”, etc. Those kinds of bloggers do not lend themselves to being thought of as human and seem to relish conflict.
I’d like to think we are all aware of our respective humanness – bloggers and commenters alike. My heart goes out to Mr. Joyner, family and friends.
We’d heard of the sudden passing of James’s wife, and on his site, there are several commenters who lost their moms when very young who have given him good advice for the future of his two little girls, one 3 years old, the other child just a few months old. God, this is sad. That there are children makes this far far more grief … it shifts the entire bedrock of the family, affecting little innocents. Adults have far more resources to understand. Children have their own ways, but it can be thrice as bewildering. We will continue to pray for James and especially his two little ones. James had developed extended family, and this will I hope see him and the little girls through the days and years ahead.
Reality is not in the printed word. Reality is not on the TV screen, Reality is not on the radio. Reality is not art.
Reality is far far more complicated and infinitely more profound. We were a far better people when we lived within reality, rather than merely communicating about it.
Nice, Allen……………….
Thanks Duck. You are pretty good yourself, but here I am beating a keyboard. I’m kind of a hypocrite, so if I become self-absorbed smack me hard. Nothing like a reality check.
I read about his loss last night. As I said then, this is tragedy. An awful human tragedy for the Joyner family. I can’t imagine that kind of loss in that situation and anyone who can’t sympathize with his loss should really reflect on how that is possible.