March 8, 2007

• Audio Blog question

  Can anyone on here listen to my audio blogs, or even have the speed to be able to listen to my audio posts? I have not ever gotten comments on any audio portions I have put up, so I was curious. As a test, I am putting up the song posted below again on this post- and I’d appreciate you letting me know if you can access it or not.

  It helps me to know if there is a point in audio blogging at all. After all, I work pretty hard not only to blog it, but also to edit it up and try to get it small enough- then upload the whole thing.

  
  

  New Blogring

  I made a new blogring today. For those who do not already know, they have increased the number of blogrings everyone can have! Normal users can have 20 now, and premium users (as well as lifetime users like myself) can have thirty. So I created a new blog-ring for homemakers. Specifically, a support ring of those homemakers willing to give or in need of support/encouragement/advice/etc to and from others in the same situation. It’s important to me to have one specifically for this purpose, because I believe a lot of homemakers out there need this- and specifically, one that is clearly stated to be open to both Moms AND Dads so that everyone who joins knows they are willing to share their time, and give and receive support from both. I looked in Wikipedia on homemakers and found this portion:

  Men, like women, choose this role because they enjoy being an active
  part of their children’s lives and do not want to be away from the
  family as much as their fathers may have been. Families vary widely in
  terms of how household chores are divided. Depending on the country or
  region in which a stay-at-home dad lives, he might find more or less
  social support for his decision. In some regions where traditional
  roles prevail, a stay-at-home dad might be shunned by the stay-at-home
  mom peer group.

  Unfortunately, such is the case with many in the Christian community, and sadly especially within the Southern Christian community- where I live, here in the Bible belt as well as online. I hope that maybe I can encourage those homemakers I have met on here who are not of such a mindset to join this webring and perhaps even find some stay-home Dads lurking around xanga who will join up too.

  I’ve noticed that after a somewhat recent encounter I had regarding the homemakers blogring I am in, other blogrings have popped up- all of which have a clear reference to “female; women; Moms” etc in them. Which is actually good, because it will avoid the conflict and hurt that can arise when a young man like myself shows up.

  Just remember- we’re adults here, we’re parents who are leading our children towards adulthood, and as we do this rather tremendous task we were designed to need each other’s support. We also have the God-given ability for discretion, for self control, for restraint, etc- and just like we don’t have to fear a black person- because of their race- and assume they will pull a knife on us if we don’t keep an eye on them, we should not fear someone because of their gender and assume that relating to them at all will overwhelm us and make us vulnerable to harm or deceit. I’d like to think I’m not the only stay-home Dad who, like any homemaking Mom, is struggling hard to be the kind of parent my son needs and just wants advice and support from others in the same position.

  So, let’s encourage each other, love each other as siblings along the same path, and help us all reach the goal of being better parents.

  -Patrick

  • 9:54 am
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