(Continued from the previous post)
I’m leaving behind my schoolmates and getting to the point, the real blog celebration.
When I was 59 I started blogging the day I realised that my brain functions were a bit declining, or so it seemed to me.
Having scarce stimuli is dangerous when you are in the ‘early autumn of your life’ – to use Delwyn’s romantic expression. My activity in the field of systems engineering was not motivating me any more – even though my job had allowed me to ride the wave of the computer revolution.
Looking for new stimuli in my old passions I then started Man of Roma.
My desire for rewiring my synapses together with my personal inclination have slanted my writings toward the thoughtful side. Man of Roma saw its birth as a research on big themes which might seem a bit ambitious at first, if the approach weren’t that of the man of the street, or, as Mario put it, that of a coffee talk with friends – though going somewhere I do hope, and not nowhere!
After 20 months and 100 posts I can say this ‘discipline’ has worked fine. My brain is working better, my memory has improved (although my absent-mindedness has increased.)
I can thus testify that two teachings of my mentor were very effective, among the rest.
Writing, he used to say, is a stern discipline tightly linked to thinking:
Writing, thinking, clarifying,
striving to sort out thoughts
in ways so “clear and ordinate”
and comprehensible.
This, many years ago, Magister counselled
for the good education of the mind.
Beloved Magister,
writer, philosopher, educator…
A second element I derived from Magister is the importance of discussion and feedback to reach a better knowledge (dialectics.) I’m happy that, despite the heaviness of some themes, conversations in my blog are often longer, more interesting and have more text than the post that had started them.
I had the great pleasure to write, joke, talk or seriously discuss with people so various – and here I thank my wonderful commenters, ALL of them! – whose incitement and contribution have really kept me going.
We will see in the next post a first selection of themes from Man of Roma, with links to special pages I’ll have just created to sort out things a bit.
See you soon then.
Man of Roma 
I have only recently started following your blog but am glad to have come across it. Never knew you were on blogsphere for so long 🙂
Keep up the good work 🙂
Thank you Sakhi. I also enjoy your blog and stories. Well, 20 months is not that long. I hope I won’t give up. Writing in English in difficult.
Here’s looking forward to the next 100 posts!
Thanks a lot Mark!
Its been wonderful reading your blog and your comments 🙂 Though I admit some posts are too much for my average intelligence level and lack of knowledge of art and history. 🙂 Keep Blogging!
It’s not a question of intelligence, my dear Reema. You’re are an engineer, and humanities are a totally different field. I hope instead we’ll interact more. I’ll come back to your blog. I’m glad you’re back there!
Many congrat’s my friend. I’m so happy to have found you here~ one of the few places my mind is not on food and I actually think for a change 😉
Ah ah, you made me laugh Janet! Well, food is one of the delights of life, and it’s part of the Italian heritage. Thanks for being here too my friend. That fitness wave thing at your blog makes me think of the women at my home. We have diagrams of calories ALL over the place…. my goodness lol
See you soon MoR!
Thank you Marianna. I’m always hoping you to come back. So you live in the Hudson River Valley. I’m reading a book on New York by Corrado Augias. I didn’t know you could play the guitar, I saw it on your ‘About’ page. Ciao!
Hi there Man of Roma,
I was just talking to my friend this morning as we walked through the rainforest yet again, whilst those whip birds whipped up another treat for us, that this blogging lark has had a very beneficial effect on my language skills.
I am feeling a little more articulate than before and am dusting off vocabulary that has lain dormant for quite a while and am even pleasantly surprised when at times as I compose a reply to a friend’s post that the right fitting words seem to slip out of their slumber and coalesce on the screen before me just perfectly. I prefer sparseness of language to verbosity, platitudes and garrulity and aim to be succinct.
My conversational topics have broadened, my thought processes exercised and my dips into the dictionary have increased in proportion to my writing commentaries… So I have to agree with you – it’s all good brain fodder.
In addition I want to thank you for the interesting chats that arise from the comments you generously make on my pages. This interaction is really the thing that I find most rewarding about blogging.
So thank you MofR,
and as always,
Happy Days
P.S. I was touched that you used my expression above…Did you read how it came to be my salutation and signature sign off?
Dear Delwyn,
Let me tell you first that that bird’s sound is so charming. The rainforest is so incredibly rich in plants and animals!
Glad to hear you’re also experiencing benefits thanks to writing. It is a great adventure. I though mentioned benefits regarding thought processes mainly (memory, reasoning, association of ideas etc.). The nature of my blog and the fact that English is not my mother tongue make me focus especially on content and communication – rather that on language -, which to me is a bit painful, because I love literature and style to me is very important.
Well, I try to write well, but I know I’ll never reach a level enough to satisfy me. I’m no Vladimir Nabokov, who succeeded in writing perfectly even though being Russian mother tongue. I wrote a post on the *experiences of a non mother tongue blogger*. This doesn’t mean my English hasn’t improved. Whenever I reread my old posts I perceive some progress (and correct errors lol.)
I didn’t have much time to interact with you since we met each other only recently. But we’ll have time in the future.
Thanks for your contribution, Delwyn.
MoR
PS
If you’re referring to ‘Happy days’, no, I didn’t read why it is your salutation. Ciao
🙂
Congrats on reaching 100 posts. You’ve got an amazing blog. I really enjoy it. I learn so much from it.
Thank you Keith. I also enjoy your blog. It brings me so many memories. I liked Dean Martin’s monologue in your last post! I was wondering if you belong to my generation. Ciao
Congratso to you Man of Roma! 🙂 Each one of your posts has taught me something new!
Oh and they’ve even given me my Imperial Historian! 😀
Thanks dude!!!! Happy you are back! You have been my first and one of the best commenters ever. Now maybe life is taking you away from the blogosphere. Hope to see you here once in a while. I’m preparing for my next post a map of themes. It might link to some of our old convs! Ciao and be well!
OK, enough celebrating! Get back to work! haha!
Let’s go! Chop chop! 😉
Ah ah, Maryann, I am working. Trying to prepare my blog maps as promised. Plus, it’s your fault, I’m still breathless after seeing your last picture ….. 🙂
Hey Congrats Sir,
How about a party to celebrate the completion of 100 posts. ‘been really busy so couldn’t visit ur blog for ages.
Well, I would not go ahead and claim that I learnt something new from from each of your post. It certainly should not be interpreted as I knew what you were talking about!!! 😛
What I mean is that most of your post, if not all have a mystic aura around it. Thus it becomes difficult for a blabbering idiot to comprehend all of it!!! And sometimes it becomes impossible to understand it at all.
But… they say “Man is known by a company he keeps” so it helps in building my pseudo- intelligent image. 😀
And in the process I have learnt a great deal.
Thx for all the information and please keep writing.
Hi dude!!!! Happy you popped up again!! Was wondering where one of my best commenters had gone. Mystic aura? I like that, and I’m happy if my posts have been of any help. Unfortunately I’m too busy to party, and my commenters are too far away scattered around the world, otherwise I’d invite you ALL to a MoRP!!
PS
I’ll see if I can add some of our convs to my new post, but I’m overwhelmed by my blog’s materials. 🙂
What you cannot party!!!
>>Unfortunately I’m too busy to party, and my commenters are too far away scattered around the world, otherwise I’d invite you.
let’s examine the statement carefully
1)>> I’m too busy to party
That’s why you need to party and relax. You have been taxing too much!!! 100 posts in 20 months is hectic. isn’t it? You deserve a break.
2)>>my commenters are too far away scattered around the world, otherwise I’d invite you.
So what’s the big deal if they are scattered around the world. And If I remember correctly, I asked about a party to celebrate your 100 post. When Did I say that you throw a party? Or invite me over to your place?
All we need to do is party at our residence to celebrate your 100 posts. We can all celebrate the event by partying at the same time at some pre-designated time tuned to GMT or UTC as you like. 😀
However I guess nobody would have the problem should you decide to foot the bill!!! 😛
Receipts could be scanned and posted over our respective blogs !!! lol jus kiddin
Tell us the time!!!
you need to party and relax.
Yes, I do.
We can all celebrate the event by partying at the same time at some pre-designated time … tell us the time!!!
Ok, at 5 pm Central European Time (UTC+1)!!! Ok?
😉
u didn’t tell us the date!!!
Of course I meant every single day for at least 12 months Falcon 😉
Sweet blog. I never know what I am going to come across next. I think you should do more posting as you have some pretty intelligent stuff to say.
I’ll be watching you.
Thanks. I post once a week since I don’t want to be devoured by my blogging activity.