Blogs that Make You Think

Bev Jackson has given me a Thinking Blogger Award. Thanks Bev!

It is now my duty to bestow the award on five blogs that make me think.

Surviving the Workday by Ms. Theologian (aka Stephanie Anagnoson) never fails to make me think. While the focus is on spirituality in the workplace, this blog incorporates every aspect of ethical thinking you can imagine. More importantly, Ms. Theologian doesn't just think about these things, she acts on them. She provides links and ideas that can help you implement changes for a better life and a better world. Her own experiences with trying to live a conscientous life provide a perfect example.

Over at Knittin' Mom, Chrissy Gardiner also puts her money where her mouth is. She is a co-founder of the breastfeeding advocacy group Mom's Milk Anywhere, writes exquisite knitting patterns, is full-time mother to two young children, and does her part to help the environment by raising her own chickens and recycling 75% of her family's plastic waste. Her commitment to the things she believes in is an inspiration.

I'd be remiss if I didn't include Patry Francis' Simply Wait in this list. Every single post Patry writes is thought-provoking, whether she's musing on random obituaries from the newspaper, observing the world through waittress' eyes, sharing her journey as a first-time novelist, or just talking about her everyday life. It's impossible to read Patry's blog and not be changed.

Over at Zyzzyva Speaks, editor Howard Junker tells it just the way he sees it. He is outspoken and never afraid to point out where and how the literary world has gone wrong. His commentary is sharp, biting, even harsh at times, but never cruel, and he injects humor in the most wonderful ways. Whether you agree with what he has to say or are in violent opposition, there is no doubt that this blog will make you think.


My final choice may seem odd, but this is a blog that I read regularly, though I've never posted a comment. It is Wil Wheaton's WWdN in Exile. I don't read Wil's blog because I'm a huge Star Trek: The Next Generation fan (though I do love the show). It's not because I'm a closet geek, either. I don't read it for the poker, the computer game reviews, or the (to me) completely indecipherable discussions of Linux. I read Wil Wheaton's blog because he is a writer and a parent who has a remarkable way of documenting his own journey through life. When he talks about his kids, I get a lump in my throat imagining my own girls in ten years. When he expresses writerly self-doubt punctuated by moments of clarity and confidence, I'm right there with him. There is nothing on this blog that is not one hundred per cent from this man's heart, and he makes me think about my own journey in wonderful new ways. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that he's funny as hell.

Thanks to all five of you outstanding bloggers, for making me think! Consider yourselves tagged.


The rules:
Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging.
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.