My post about the pitfalls and pleasures of being a Cuban American blogger made it to the august precincts of Babalublog and elicited the following comment:
Well said, I guess, but I'm not sure anyone cares with the "anguish" we CA bloggers might or might not feel as we do our thing. If it's so hard, just do something else. To whine in public like this is just a wasteful self-indulgence and does nothing to serve our cause.
I don't begrudge your sentiment, but don't lose perspective. Whatever anguish or discomfort or frustration you are feeling is nothing — absolutely nothing — like that felt by people, i.e. Cubans on the island, suffering each day because of the dictatorship. Making the story about us, the bloggers, does nothing to help them, the Cuban people.
We really have no right to complain.
I really had two things in mind when I wrote the original post, namely that we do our cause a disservice when we get lost in personalities and secondly that we do serve a cause larger than ourselves. I guess it came across as bellyaching, not my desire. Because many people suffer grievously and some die makes it no less frustrating to try to help them. I believe a good portion of my work is directed at highlighting this same suffering. And perhaps as instructed, I might be better off selling shoes, or working in my professional capacity. It's really not my choice. Blogging in this instance is a calling. It would have sufficed to say that the post was in error, that we should not forget the suffering of others, or whatever. As it is I took it as a personal attack administered publicly. And I am Cuban enough to respond as such. But since it came from a source I liked, respected, and trusted, I'll have to think about it. That's it. Least said, soonest what can be mended will be.
6 comments:
I think you wrote an excellent post which to me did not come across as whining in any way. You said some truths that apply to some whose inflated egos constantly get in the way of what is really important; the plight of the 11 million on the island with very little voice.
Thank you.
Your post did not come across as bellyaching to me but actually very thoughtful and full of passion. If I may, let me add that perhaps you fell into the trap of not knowing about some undercurrents going on at Babalu with regard to the topic of your post.
Keep up the good fight.
I also think you wrote an excellent post, because you can feel it comes from your heart.
It's OK to sometimes feel disheartened in this struggle; we're humans and that does not mean that we do not appreciate the suffering of those we left behind, en la boca del lobo.
ms calabaza,
I sure would like to hear about those "undercurrents" at babalu that I havent been privy to myself, being that Im so busy regurgitating stale news and all that....
Thank you all for your kind sentiments. I was feeling a bit embattled.
Ms. Calabaza, saddened by the whole affair which cost me someone I valued but who turned it into an either/or proposition, I can only go with what I have experienced and what I know in my heart. I was, however, making a more general observation, namely why can't we disagree civilly without being cutting at best and abusive at worst?
I have a question: cui bono?
Who benefits from the disarray when we savage each other?
And Val, I'm as nonplussed as you. I missed whatever was going on, too.
My feeling is that each and every one of our blogs serves a function, adds something to the movement. Otherwise, we wouldn't do it. That is not something to dismiss cavalierly.
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