Gut check: Explaining bad behavior.
Over the last three or so months, you have come here looking for a new helping of "the world as seen from the eyes of a Zimbabwean" and have been dissappointed to find no new servings. At first you thought it perhaps was a personal difficulty in the real but personal realm of yours truly's life and it'd be over in a few days, but then the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and sadly, the year too passed on by. I know I've dissappointed you. For that I'm deeply sorry.
Beyond that, I'm thankful that this short respite has enabled me to look within myself to seek (and thankfully find) a deep seated fundamental interest in this very enterprise. I won't be going away. During this break, I've been able to step back, watch the world pass me by, and reevaluate what my vantage point will be going forward. I love my country and relish the rare privilege I have in being able to pontificate about goings on thereof in this very space. I've come to three conclusions about the value of what I'm doing in this space. I want to share those with you.
First, I've been challenged to think of what I'm doing on this site. I am glad to confess that I've become aware of, and will from now desist from, my tendency to think of this as an endeavor in which I get to nonchalently broadcast my limited and naive rantings on things Zimbabwean. I refuse to condone this hapless mediocrity; my writing here will from now on be motivated by an uncompromising need to enable you to access a rarely seen persepective on the Zimbabwean dilemma; that of the lay Zimbabwean, the simpleton or average man whom you would most likely run into on the concrete sidewalks of one of my country's cities or out in the rural areas somewhere. The written word, any written word, is only a representation of some much larger truth; a "slice of the truth." The language, grammatical standards, and point of view that govern the composition of any writing are what determine who's slice of truth that writing purports to expose. I chose in this space to deliver to you a slice of truth that represents the common man and woman in Zimbabwe.
Why the need to be so explicit about a mere editorial shift/policy?
That is because I become gladly aware of the fact that there is a continuating proliferation of nooks on the web devoted to capturing a snapshot of Zimbabwe. Thanks in large part to Zimbabweans dispersed in the diaspora, this site is a just a small effort in comparison to other Zimbabwean themed websites. There are many more news sites than there were three years ago, many more blogs, and many more interested groups all declaring their interest and chronicling their efforts somewhere on the World Wide Web. My updated links will soon reflect this growing pool of information. Unfortunately, it is painfully apparent to me that most writers on Zimbabwe have forsaken the sacred obligations of airing the view of Zimbabwe's common people. Like this site, most writings on Zimabwe are replete with erudite pontifications about Zimbabweans that lump lay Zimbabweans into a non descript category without its own voice. Henceforth, what you will find contained here will be an articulation and analysis of major news stories out of Zimbabwean from the perspective of the lay people. Like it or not, agree with it or not, my vantage point will be that of the local angle.
Finally, on a personal note, I've realized that in order to remain sane, I cannot publish new articles daily. Like any number of you, I have obligations that demand nothing less than 100% of my dedication in other areas of life. The last three months have afforded me a much needed break from the demanding lifestyle of a cyberpundit that I'd plunged myself into almost two years ago. Sometimes I'll update more than once in a single day, other times I'll do it once every day. Again, my minimum standard is to publish a new piece at least once a week. On some of those weeks, that piece will coincide with the piece I have to put together for the every-other-week roundup I do for Global Voices.
I'm excited, to say the very least, to share deeper meanings with you!
Zimbabwe, Zimpundit,
Beyond that, I'm thankful that this short respite has enabled me to look within myself to seek (and thankfully find) a deep seated fundamental interest in this very enterprise. I won't be going away. During this break, I've been able to step back, watch the world pass me by, and reevaluate what my vantage point will be going forward. I love my country and relish the rare privilege I have in being able to pontificate about goings on thereof in this very space. I've come to three conclusions about the value of what I'm doing in this space. I want to share those with you.
First, I've been challenged to think of what I'm doing on this site. I am glad to confess that I've become aware of, and will from now desist from, my tendency to think of this as an endeavor in which I get to nonchalently broadcast my limited and naive rantings on things Zimbabwean. I refuse to condone this hapless mediocrity; my writing here will from now on be motivated by an uncompromising need to enable you to access a rarely seen persepective on the Zimbabwean dilemma; that of the lay Zimbabwean, the simpleton or average man whom you would most likely run into on the concrete sidewalks of one of my country's cities or out in the rural areas somewhere. The written word, any written word, is only a representation of some much larger truth; a "slice of the truth." The language, grammatical standards, and point of view that govern the composition of any writing are what determine who's slice of truth that writing purports to expose. I chose in this space to deliver to you a slice of truth that represents the common man and woman in Zimbabwe.
Why the need to be so explicit about a mere editorial shift/policy?
That is because I become gladly aware of the fact that there is a continuating proliferation of nooks on the web devoted to capturing a snapshot of Zimbabwe. Thanks in large part to Zimbabweans dispersed in the diaspora, this site is a just a small effort in comparison to other Zimbabwean themed websites. There are many more news sites than there were three years ago, many more blogs, and many more interested groups all declaring their interest and chronicling their efforts somewhere on the World Wide Web. My updated links will soon reflect this growing pool of information. Unfortunately, it is painfully apparent to me that most writers on Zimbabwe have forsaken the sacred obligations of airing the view of Zimbabwe's common people. Like this site, most writings on Zimabwe are replete with erudite pontifications about Zimbabweans that lump lay Zimbabweans into a non descript category without its own voice. Henceforth, what you will find contained here will be an articulation and analysis of major news stories out of Zimbabwean from the perspective of the lay people. Like it or not, agree with it or not, my vantage point will be that of the local angle.
Finally, on a personal note, I've realized that in order to remain sane, I cannot publish new articles daily. Like any number of you, I have obligations that demand nothing less than 100% of my dedication in other areas of life. The last three months have afforded me a much needed break from the demanding lifestyle of a cyberpundit that I'd plunged myself into almost two years ago. Sometimes I'll update more than once in a single day, other times I'll do it once every day. Again, my minimum standard is to publish a new piece at least once a week. On some of those weeks, that piece will coincide with the piece I have to put together for the every-other-week roundup I do for Global Voices.
I'm excited, to say the very least, to share deeper meanings with you!
Zimbabwe, Zimpundit,
