According to experts, I should be writing this blog in Gotham font because that's the style adopted by Barak Obama for billboards, leaflets and other US of A, presidential election handouts.
I'm not so much stunned as distracted by this claim. I don't myself, type much. I prefer to invest myself in hand writing.
I know it's unfair, because others have to decipher my scribble and translate it into type. I try to make my handwriting as legible as possible. That's the least I can do. But, I do believe people can conclude that you've taken the trouble, the risk of committing yourself, in your own hand, for people to judge that value of 'what' you say by the way you say/write it.
If I was keyboard friendly, I'd belt out more stuff more often. That would be handy now that a national broadcaster has asked me to blog, a couple of times a week, on the topic of roman catholic World Youth Day, held in Sydney in July, '08.
I said no, then yes, based solely on the practical problem of creating time for such a worthy task.
I like to do 'catholic' things. I'm sad that my priest (including 'high priest') colleagues don't get me to do more purely 'catholic' things. I've grown old now in roman catholicism. I haven't caused the institution that much trouble.
I don't want recognition or applause just more work within Catholicism. I wouldn't intentionally frighten the members of the institution, just infotain them about the marvels of justice and peace generated within secular society.
Everyone needs to know that catholics have now, officially since the 1960s, come to embrace the secular and to acknowledge its value, its autonomy, and even, if I may add what seems paradoxical, its sacredness or holiness.
Sorry, that's a mouthful, but it's an explanation of what I'm on about, why I pop up on the TV and Radio and, occasionally, in the newspapers.
I don't do any of these things for self promotion except as a representative, self-appointed up to the date of writing this blog, of 'gonzo' Catholicism.
One of my colleagues diagnoses my penchant for publicity as 'narcissism'. You may have to Google that.
I don't believe that to be true. I don't personally enjoy public appearances. I do like others, however, to enjoy those appearances. Awareness raising is part of a catholic priest's work, among catholic worshippers or secondary school students at catholic colleges or spirituality at the pub gatherings.
I admit I'm nervous about the much publicised extravaganza, World Youth Day, to be held in Sydney in July. (See, just mention WYD in this blog publicises it and should get me brownie points! Let's wait and see. Don't hold breath.)
In my own town, Melbourne, there's a local lead up, Days in the Diocese, launching on Anzac Day! In true catholic, otherworldly fashion, it involves a Cross and Icon (of Mary).
My nervousness concerns whether the organisers, under orders, in revisionist catholic style, of clerical authority, will try to meld Anzac Day, Cross and Icon to provide a palatable incentive for all Melboumians to participate or ignore the sacredness of secular Anzac Day in pursuit of an in house devotional catholic jolt, admirable as that may be, when an opportunity would be lost of adding here and nowness to an iconic Anzac Day.
The AFL will do it through C'Wood vs Essendon at the MCG.
The Catholics could do it by linking the many crosses of Fromelles and Gallipoli with WYD cross and the countless devastated mothers of killed, wounded physically and emotionally victims of war, with Mary's icon.
I respectfully suggest that a public display of devotional Catholicism needs to be balanced, indeed strengthened, with a public declaration o catholicism's dedication to the cause of commonwealth and common good.
There's a saying in the social networking community that if you want your blog readership to 'spike', you need to bring someone or some cause down.
Not so for this, my blog. For what it's worth I endorse WYD and DIDO8, but reserve the right to popularise / secularise it!