My thoughts on a page.

Are you the type of person,
who always has an opinion?
Can you keep it to yourself?
Do you feel the need to express it loudly?
Are you intolerant of opinions at odds with your own?
Does your sex, location or childhood have any bearing,
on your opinions and how you voice them?

Here is a project you might like to join in on
or read the opinions of others and reach your own conclusions.

I follow a blogger aopinionated man.
He began his blog around the same time as myself,
and in the seven months since,
he has over 23,500 followers.
(so similar to myself,
as I too have a 500 in my following number!)
Now I know we should hate him,
and have all sorts of conspiracy theories,
as to why his blog is such hit,
but to be honest he is the hardest working blogger I know.
Every comment is replied to so quickly.
I do not think he ever sleeps!
So I cannot hate him,
he has my respect,
and I even greatly enjoy our interactions!

I have never got involved in a debate on wordpress,
as if I do not agree with an opinion on a blog,
I usually just click out of it,
as life is too short.
However recently I read a post on his site,
and I did seriously not agree,
and told him so.
We had a very passionate but polite exchange,
and parted friends but agreeing to differ.

He often does such posts,
(the clue is in his blog title!)
and now he is undertaking a project.
It is on opinions.
I think it is a very interesting study,
and I think reading the answers to this template,
will be most entertaining.

So if you are interested,
go check it out.
He calls it Project O.
He has no lack of followers willing to participate,
but I thought some of you might like to give it a go,
or check in in September when he posts the replies.
This is the template,
and I have written my replies.
Name: Tric

Website: https://mythoughtsonapage.com/

Twitter: @trickearney

Facebook: my thoughts on a page

LinkedIn:

Email: 1tric@eircom.net

Question 1: Please provide a window into who you are, some background information in a not too overwhelming profile here. I am allowing you as the writer to immediately connect with your audience so take advantage. Remember the point of ordering these questions is to arrange this project so it is easy for comparison and not to constrain you as the writer. Write as long as you need to for each question to get your point across just remember not to lose the reader.

I am an Irish blogger, with four children and a husband. I have always loved to write but apart from thirty years keeping a diary I have written very little. Until I began my blog in January. Since then I have found my voice so to speak and love my blog. Writing now is something I can’t not do.

Question 2: If you haven’t already done so please provide your country of origin, whether you are male or female, an age would be nice, and where you currently live if that differs from the country of origin. If you are in America this might be a nice time to explain what state you are from. Also try to give us a brief view of your current neighborhood and what it is like in as specific terms as you like. Why is this important? I believe our surroundings and where we come from have a strong impact on our development of opinions. It would also be highly likely that depending on the safety of the country might also determine how willing one is to express their opinions aloud. Does sex also have something to do with this, as well as age? These are all characteristics that can definitely affect a person’s outlook.

I live in the South of Ireland but was born and reared in Dublin, which is where my heart lies. You have no chance of me giving my age, suffice to say I have children from 11 years to 22 years, but I was a child bride! I think that I have mellowed with age and I have learned my opinions now are just that, MY opinions. I do not have to change others.

Question 3: Recount the first time you remember having a differing opinion from someone significantly older than you. Do you remember what the topic was about? Did you voice your opinion or hold it to yourself?

I was very well able from an early age to voice my opinions, and was incensed as a child by gender inequality.
I was quite outspoken in general but I do recall one particular moment I voiced my own opinion.
I was in school aged about fourteen. It was in a religion class. A nun was teaching us and I had not a lot of faith, and probably not a lot of respect, so I was not being overly attentive. She was speaking about trials and difficulties we could face in our future. Nothing she spoke about was working for me, as I sat swinging on my chair.
She began to speak about coming up against troubles in life. What would we do if we met a giant mountain as we were walking along?
“Well miss?”, she shouted in my direction, “What would you do?”. I hesitated and she continued, “Well? Would you climb that mountain, or would you go around it?”. I said quite happily “Sister I’d go around it”. Oh my goodness, the poor nun lost it. “Typical, typical of you miss”, she roared. “Take the easy way out. Why am I not surprised? I can just see you all your life taking the easy way”. When I argued with her about how ridiculous it was to take the hard way she threw me out!
Well to this day I still disagree with her. I think people often complicate life. They create problems which are not there or else cause them. So, sadly whilst I do now understand what she meant, I still think there is no reason we should make life more difficult than it needs to be. Some mountains we create ourselves out of hills.

Question 4: What levels of respect were practiced around you when you were a child? Was there bowing involved, handshakes, “yes Sirs and yes Ma’ams,” or some other equivalent respectfulness in your culture’s tongue? Is an honorific given to someone older than you and do you often respect and practice that? How might the culture you were brought up in have affected the growth of your own opinions?

We respected our parents or grandparents because of who they were but did not really have to show it formally. As a member of a big family there was a lot of “discussion” and loud exchanges of opinions from a young age. Everyone fought for their voice to be heard. I think because of this openness I learned to never be afraid to have an opinion and also the art of getting your point across successfully.

Question 5: How traveled are you and to what degree do you keep up with international news? You might also provide an educational background if you wish and if that education was gained from somewhere other than your current location. How available is the news and what goes on in the outside world to you in your country?

I have travelled Europe to some degree, and have visited the United States. I lived in Australia for sixteen months in my early twenties. I do like to keep up with national and international news, which is readily available on a loop here if you so wished.

Question 6: If you could share an opinion on a single international incident or topic that you either feel strongly about or that might not be known to the rest of the world what would it be? You have our attention.

How at another time I would have relished this question. There would have been so many topics burning a hole in my head and I would have passionately argued each one, gay marriage, gender inequality, religion to name but a few. However in times of trouble our world becomes very small, and we get focused on what matters to us.So for me the rights of the world will have to wait.
My choice of topic is the ignorance of us all to the gift of bone marrow donation. How many even know how simple it is to become a donor? How many understand they could save a life? How many know that a simple cheek swab is all that is required, but do nothing. I cannot understand why everyone who gives blood is not asked to consider going on the bone marrow register.
We have recently been witness to this miracle. A young friend of ours aged just 13 years was given the news at Christmas he had leukemia. Our world shrank. His only hope for life was a bone marrow donor. Family did not match. Can you imagine how you would feel looking at your own child and know your DNA does not tally enough with his!
Then they found on the international register that a young 21 year old girl in the United States, had taken the time to go on the register. She was a 10/10 match. He had a chance.
However others have been left with no chance, because their match has not been found. Maybe it is you?
So there you have it. This is the raging topic that I cannot get away from. I feel so passionate about it. If more people just knew about testing they might actually do it.
Maybe this is not the opinion that was asked for or expected, but it is an opinion on a topic I feel so strongly about, so I hope it qualifies.

Question 7: What does the right to an opinion mean to you? Is it essential to freedom to have this right? How far would you go to protect that ability? The world is on fire with people of passion, how passionate are you about things you value?

Everyone is entitled to have an opinion and it is healthy to express it. However no one opinion is 100% correct nor should it ever be that no other opinion is entertained. I would on occasions get highly inflamed about an opinion of mine but I am mindful that others are also entitled to feel the same about theirs. (although sometimes if you heard me arguing that might surprise you!)

Question 8: Is it ever right for you to be allowed an opinion while someone else is denied that same right on the same topic?

Never. Wrong is wrong there is no need to debate it.

Question 9: The last question. upon completing this template and hopefully contemplating the issue what does this project mean to you? How can Project O potentially enlighten or help the world?

I do not think it will! I do however passionately believe we all have a voice and we should use it. Diversity of opinions is normal and the tolerance of difference is what makes a country a desirable place to live. I will thoroughly enjoy reading others experiences. Luckily for me I live in a country and time which allows me, a woman, to voice my opinions. I strongly believe that the more time we spend with each other and share lives the more we discover our similarities as humans. Maybe this project will show that too.

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photo credit: MissBlythe via photopin cc