Posted 1:12 AM by John A. Seafisk

Je Suis Un Reactionary

I realize why I have trouble posting to my log on a regular basis. Days go by without my brain uncapable of adding to my electronic journal/diary/notebook....yet, I do quite well in adding comments to other people's blogs.

I've concluded that I am not a man of action.

I am a man of reaction.

Even in normal conversations with folks (or 'real time', for you computer jockeys), I find it difficult to start a conversation. Yet, when someone does begin a discussion, I most often will jump in with my comments & suggestions & general tomfoolery. And even then, if I really feel like I have nothing to say, I won't said anything. It might make me look anti-social, but that's not the case. I just tend to be selective in my comment-making. As Mark Twain or P.T. Barnum or Abraham Lincoln or somebody once said, "Best to keep your mouth closed and have people think you're a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt."

That's not to say every word I say or sentence I type is literary gold. I have on many occasions received responses of polite yet nervous giggles & confused stares to my verbal additions. But on the flip side, I have also gotten my fair share of pleasant acknowlegements & laughs of humorous satisfaction.

The way I see it, lots of people like to talk, but they're not saying anything. Fortunately, they're still plenty of people who do contribute positively to the fabric of social interaction. And these are people I like to seek out....that's why I tend to stay clear of Internet chat rooms or political arguments. I want to converse with the people who speak, so I have someone to react to.

Guess I'm just a vaudeville comedian looking for a straight man (or woman).