When I started this blog in November 2008, it was called something else: a lofty title which I disliked even as I imagined its contents.
That name stayed for a while. In the end, I just got fed up with it and so I changed it but the new title did not work either.
The death of two relatives late last year (2009) changed my whole outlook on life. Everything could be taken away from me in a relatively short space of time.
It hit me then. Life was too short to sit around moping. I decided to reorganise my thoughts and that included seriously thinking about my reasons for blogging.
Life's too short is used to say that it is not worth wasting time doing something that you dislike or that is not important (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: Seventh Edition).
That is true.
English author Shirley Conran told The Observer (February 1, 2004) that "when I wrote Superwoman, I became famous for saying life was too short to stuff a mushroom -- a phrase I came up with to amuse myself, because writing a book about domestic science was less than riveting".
Superwoman was published in 1975 and it was aimed at busy women.
We continue to lead very busy lives. For that reason we have to make time for meaningful pursuits.
Jonathan Yang's The Rough Guide to Blogging (2006) helped me to understand the blogging culture and why people do it.
I am a journalist and that means I tell stories. But mainstream newspapers are highly selective. Not all reports are considered newsworthy.
As a news item a story about a stray dog may not even merit a short paragraph. A blog would be perfect for that kind of narratives.
Life's too short became the obvious name for my revamped blog and, like life, it is work in progress.
I am very fortunate that talented journalist Jehan Mohd is willing to contribute posts to this blog as a guest blogger.
Jehan is one of those rare individuals whose attitude towards life is tempered by compassion and a wild sense of humour. I am grateful that our paths have crossed.
Life is a series of interlinking stories and we have a lot of things to accomplish in a short time.
Let us hope we live long enough to do just that.
Thank you for your interest.
Faezah Ismail
March 28, 2010
Contact: ezameru@gmail.com
See also HIJAU is GREEN
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