Cheater?!

Is it cheating? Could it be considered taking the path of least resistance or is it a cop out? Does it water down the purity of this blog? I don't know....I'm certainly curious about those questions and more.

What I am referring to here is the whether I should be posting song lyrics to represent something from my past instead of writing first hand about my feelings from that time. Such is an example of the process of critical analysis that takes place in my brain concerning just about everything I say and do. Some would say it's a blessing, to think so critically this way...some would say it's a curse. Frankly, it can be both a blessing and a curse...some times simultaneously! It depends on the situation but since I've processed my behavior, thoughts and feelings this way all my life, lets just say I'm pretty much used to it.

Back to the question of whether there is any value in posting someone else's written work on my site to communicate something I want to say or illustrate about myself. I just realize I've posted poems as well so they must be included in this discussion.

The easy answer of course is: "It's my freaking blog and I'll post whatever I want". Yea, yea but I'd actually like someone other then myself to read it so I need to make it at least interesting...and readable!

Let me explain my rational this way, any one who has read a post of mine on this site realizes that:

1) I have no shortage of things to say. Some would suggest this blog contains too much of my babbling on and on. The suggestion being I should add more pictures or short, anecdotes to keep it interesting and add more flow. This is actually something I am trying to do and not having much success. I'm too wordy. Trust me...I'm working on it!

2) I also think it's obvious that I'm not shy about revealing my very personal thoughts and feelings...I really don't hold anything back. I pretty much say what I want or need to say in any given post. It has been suggested by some that I share too much and I need to stop doing that. Sorry, I can't, it's impossible to do this half way. For me, it's all or nothing....

So those two points lead me to my answer to the original question if it's relevant to add some else's work to my posts?

I think yes...it is. And this is why...

I truly believe these songs/writings were and are significant to me and my life. Probably more so then I can effectively communicate in this forum. So why not add them, what does it really hurt? Does it water the post down? How could it...it's not like the poem or song is taking the place of something I want to say...nope, it's adding something.

I think some may find it ridiculous that such things were so significant to me in the first place...Uh, so what?! They were and I'm not apologizing for it, it's not like I could really control the fact that music became so important to me. And that I see it as relevant today as representative of something significant at another time and another place.

Because I have experienced such significant upheaval in my life: Addiction, Suicide attempts, Death of friends/family, Divorce, Rape, Recovery, Sobriety, Major changes in my philosophy of living (IE: A Spiritual Experience), etc., It is easy to feel totally separated from my past and for me, that isn't healthy. So I need something to bring those segments of my life together and to make sense of it all. But even though I can feel alienated from previous events, certainly there is a kinship between my past and present....Music has become the thread that ties it together for me. I can't always relate or understand my behavior in those days but the musical connection allows me to relate to it that way. And I do, it very clearly makes the connection for me...

So realistically, I'd be leaving something out if I didn't relate the importance of the music and poetry, etc. of those days gone by. 

As far as I'm concerned, If it is important to me then it needs to be addressed in this blog because this blog is me. That is the point of writing the damn thing, yes?!  YES!

Excuse me for having a bit of fun with this because I am actually humored by my own obsessive, anal need to evaluate things to death. Someone will surely read this and go: "WTF?! Just shut up and write already"! And to that I say; Write On...and I shall.