What does it say that at almost 40, I'm suddenly surrounded by friends and acquaintances with newborn babies? Mrs Pastor and I came up with seven or eight children born in the past year or so. Seems like every time we turn around, somebody's sending us baby pictures. We enjoy them all.
On Epiphany, it seems appropriate to remember all newborns in our prayers*. Please find a resource below the fold, along with a modest proposal about the future of this series.
First things first. A Navajo Blessing for a Newborn Child:
"Today, we are blessed with a beautiful baby
May his feet be to the east
may his right hand be to the south
may his head be to the west
may his left hand be to the north
May he walk and dwell on Mother Earth peacefully
May he be blessed with precious, variegated stones
May he be blessed with fat sheep in variation
May he be blessed with respectful relatives and friends
May he be blessed with the essence of life in old age
May he be blessed with the source of happiness in beauty
We ask all these blessings with reverence and holiness
My Mother the Earth
My Father the Sky
My Sister the Sun
All is Peace
All is Beauty
All is Happiness
All is Harmony"
And now the proposal: what would you all think of my posting "Brothers and sisters," at Street Prophets only?
Follow my train of logic, such as it is. As you may have noticed, Markos has kindly arranged for the headlines from Mother Talkers and Street Prophets to show up at the bottom of the advertising column. That increases our visibility, for which I am grateful.
But it also means that crossposting this thread becomes redundant in a sense. We've got a link, and it stays up longer than even a recommended diary will, albeit not in as good a position. But I've noticed that we've been having an increasingly difficult time making it onto the Recommended List, especially now with roving gangs of candidate partisans bidding up their diaries. As well, I'm becoming less of a presence here as I tend to my own community.
So the time may be right to spin the series off to Street Prophets.
Here's the advantages and disadvantages as I see them.
Advantages:
- No worries about where to find the thread - just head down to the Street Prophets headlines on Sunday night.
- It frees up a slot on the Recommended Diary list.
- It's more flexible: since the title won't scroll off the "Recent Diaries" list, I (or someone else) can post Sunday afternoon or evening, and you'll still be able to find it.
- Yes, it adds up to more hits, users, and posting for us at SP.
Disadvantages:
- Posters would have to sign up for a Street Prophets ID, if they don't have one already.
- Less drive-by posts (good for limiting trolling, not so good for people in need).
- It would mean the end of one of the longest-running social threads at this site. As well, it would kill off the bragging rights we have for hosting prayer sessions - you know of any conservative political blog that does that?
Now, let me say that I'm happy to continue to crosspost if that's what we decide. It'd be less to keep track of for me, but it's not about me, now is it?