I just spent three hours wandering around the Internet. I've been referring to it, in my head and in my occasional comments, as random, but it's not. It's alphabetical by one of the blogrolls over there on the right.

I've gotten through the A's, B's, C's, D's, E's, F's and G's. And have learned a bit about myself.

Such as, I'm just not interested in reading about other people's religious struggles, journeys, thrills, spills, trials, joys, successes, failures, guilt, or enlightenment. I'm sorry. It actually makes me feel a tad bit guilty, or something, but I can't dredge up the interest. I respect people's choice to follow a religion, though I'll admit to a certain level of bafflement at the number of people out there who write about their faith and their God as though they (the people, not the Gods) are just not doing it well enough, so that their spiritual journey includes lots of pit stops to refill on self-criticism and flagellation. Perhaps it's just that in my life, my favorite role models for religion are my kids' godparents, who just seem to carry such a joy and fulfillment from their faith without feeling a need to either proselytize or bemoan the times when they're not perfect, but it seems to me like faith might could be an okay experience? Maybe?

Anyway. I'm happy for people who want to spend their lives working on getting right with God, but I don't want to read about it.

I've also learned that pets and kids aren't the same thing, and I just can't read your blog if you disagree.

I've learned that while there is an art to title selection and I have looked forward to certain blogs just based on their names, a pithy title just ain't enough. I won't specify, because I can't see any reason to cast ill will upon people who are likely well-meaning, delightful, possibly even amusing individuals... but suffice it to say, there have been a few titles I was willing to leap past the methodical alphabetical wanderings to encounter, and so far... nothin'. Some of my favorite blogs have had unassuming titles, and some of them with fabulous titles I nearly strained my mouse finger trying to click on BACK BACK BACK OH MY GOODNESS BACK BACK BACK.

I've learned that I still carry around this sense of obligation to like everyone. And I don't. I also learned that I feel like, of the people I do like, I should somehow like them all equally, or at least give them equal billing on my list o' links. And I don't. Just because I don't link doesn't mean I don't like... but I'm left feeling almost guilty when I don't.

Happily, I've learned that I don't feel any remote sense of obligation to leave a comment at every blog I visit just for the sake of leaving my mark somewhere or making them feel better about themselves or whatever. I can be quiet when I have nothing to say. Who knew?

So, the moral of this rambling is, I've been a lot of places this morning and my brain is pretty full right now. I'm not terribly likely to revisit a lot of the places I saw today, but I did add a few that I appreciate over rightward... and if this job stays boring enough and if I continue to work hard enough at putting off my internship applications, I may someday have succeeded in working through all of those blogrolls and just having a list of places that won't bore or irritate or alienate me.

Yeah, right.