A Life No Longer Bifurcated

I signed up for Twitter on December 10, 2008, started this blog the next day, and my life has not been the same since. Before I began sharing my thoughts with all of you in this vibrant online world I lived a bifurcated life -- my work persona and professional identity on one branch of my divided self, and my personal life on the other, the two safely separated from each other.

In these not-quite three months I have gotten to know many interesting people, first through Twitter, then through visitors to this blog and, recently, via FaceBook. Many of you I don't even know by name, but only through your online handles - and, yet, I feel a strong connection to you. One of the first things I noticed when I began interacting with this online community, was a warmness I did not expect or predict. And, perhaps in response, a gradual letting down of the walls between the two halves of myself has occurred. I have felt my bifurcated life merging, the two sides of my persona melding back together.

And today I woke up to the realization that I am becoming whole again.

I'm not exactly sure when the wall started to come down, but I know why it did. It was because of you, the readers of this blog. You have been an enthusiastic, encouraging bunch, providing feedback and showing interest in my ideas. Because of your interest I have been emboldened to share my, at times, half-baked thoughts on topics that I am, nevertheless, passionately interested in: topics from science like attractors and fractals and self-organization - but also topics about faith, the origin of life and the nature of God. And to share these in the same forum, not hiding one part of my life away from the other.

Your acceptance of me and my ideas has allowed me to accept all the parts of my own self. This is a very interesting outcome, and one I never would have predicted that day back in December when I signed up for Twitter.

So, thank you for this incredible gift! And thank you, also, for reading my blog and providing feedback. I look forward to more interesting discussions with all of you.