I was recently asked a question about one of the segments/chapters in the book that made up the Scott Shaw Zen Blog 2.0, The Chronicles: Zen Ramblings from the Internet. These were initially written in 2012/2013. Back then, for those of you who may or may not know, I blogged for a while, then I would stop, then I would fire the blog back up again maybe a year later. I did this/that for a bit until blogging became the just something that I do.
 
Okay, enough backstory…
 
As I was looking up the chapter that I was asked to clarify the something about, I took the time to read the Intro to the book. Something that I haven’t done pretty much since I wrote it. I thought it was kinda interesting, describing a time and a mindset of a time gone past. …How some things have changed, how some things have not… So, for those who you have not read the book, here's the Intro for your reading pleasure.  
 
Introduction
 
Due to ongoing requests, I am going to try to get back into blogging. But, I feel like I must say a few things at the outset…
 
For those of you who know, (or don’t know), I used to blog but then it just started to get really-really weird. People would show up at the places I mentioned in the blog and pretended that they were so surprised to run into me. Or, I would notice someone sitting across the courtyard, staring at me, if I was having a latte’ or something. Some people would even show up and hang out at my P.O. Box to see me going to get my mail and then they would try to follow me home or to wherever it was I was driving. Weird, weird, weird !!!
 
People, you don’t have to stalk me! I live a fairly uneventful life. So, this kind of nonsense is really unnecessary. And, I am the most approachable person in the world. If you want to communicate with me, simply contact me. As long as you are cool, so am I…
 
The other side of the weirdness came via the Internet. Some people would email me really rude comments just to see if I would respond or mention them in my blog. Or, they would write something really negative or untrue about me on some website, (out there in cyberspace), and then email me the location. Again, just to see if they could get a rise out of me so that I would mention them in the blog.  But, believe me, I really don’t care what some anonymous person, who hides behind a screen name, has to say about me or anyone else.
 
You know, I understand that there are a lot of adolescences and adolescent minded people out there, who really don’t have anything better to do than to patrol the Internet looking for someone or something to love or to hate. But, that is their fault. There is a lot of life to live. Get off the Internet and live it! And, as I always say, you should really get out there and create something positive in your chosen field of art. Then, you don’t have to waste your Life-Time thinking about, discussing, and critiquing the work of others.
 
This being stated, at the outset of this new blog I believe it is really important to note, if you are going to misquote me or use my words out of context as a means to get your own name out there while you formulate some misguided point about my projects or myself, all that does is make you look like your own words are not worthy or that you do not have anything of your own worth stating. So, don’t waste your time!  It’s not going to change me or my world in any way, shape, or form. And, I’m not going to mention you in the blog. Ultimately, it just makes YOU look bad. So instead, get out there, LIVE and CREATE your own life and your own art!
 
And then... OMG, there were the people who just knew I was writing whatever I was writing about them. This, when I didn’t even know who they were or, if I did know them, I wasn’t even thinking about ‘em. They would contact me and tell me what they thought about me writing about them. Awh, the paranoid... It wasn’t about you !!! If it was, I would tell you.
 
I have always found that in life most people are really cool. Others, for whatever reason, are not. They are motivated by greed, desire, ego, superiority, insecurity, whatever... This being stated, I really only want to associate and communicate with nice people who don’t have some weird, self-serving agenda. And, that will be the basis of this new blog. Keep any negativity to yourself!
 
For the, what-ever-it-is-worth, my previous blog was published as a book entitled, Scribbles on the Restroom Wall.  The introduction to that book goes into much more detail about some of the occurrences that took place and some of my motivations for writing and then discontinuing the original blog.  It also has all of the blog entries that I wrote. So, if you’re interested, feel free to check it out.
 
Also, I guess I should mention that I do my blogging stream-of-consciousness style, so you may see some typos. I toss that to the world of, whatever... As long as the ideas get out there...
 
Okay, that’s the basis. Hopefully we can have some fun with this blog again. I can write about what I am thinking and what I am doing... For those of you who liked to read the original blog, you will have something new to read. But, if it gets weird again, then I guess I will just have to cease writing. Hopefully that won’t happen.
 
But for now, Let the Blogging Recommence!