Thoughts about what makes me think

I've noticed the Thinking Blog nods circling around and I was intrigued, especially because some of the writers I hold in very high esteem seemed to be taking part in it. And then yesterday AM, I was humbled to see a few others had selected my blog as a Thinking Blogger. Chani, Flutter, Sin. What excellent company I have the honor of keeping. You all make me think with every post.

I find this concept interesting, because on some level it's obvious. If the blogs I read didn't make me think, then why would I read them? Or they mine? But on some other level it goes much deeper. Once again, being impacted by another's writing offers the opportunity to be moved, to connect, to conspire. We allow ourselves to be touched by another's words, and that allowance makes the space between smaller. And every time it happens, the threads weave a bit tighter.

And there you have it. Community. Support. Commonality or alternate perspectives, but open minds nonetheless.

So in the meme spirit of the concept, and because Chani asked us to continue the sharing, I'd like to share five bloggers who make me think, and the reasons why.

Lucia always leaves me wanting more. Perhaps it's her courageousness or her work all over the globe that makes me salivate, or the very reasons she travels. Or perhaps it's all three.

Andrea is freakishly intelligent. More often than not I'll read her posts and I'll be overcome with wonder - how she is able to formulate her thoughts and theories in such comprehensive and reasonable ways. Simply put, she blows my mind.

Hel's honesty makes me think, and think hard. This woman has been a rare find, she lays her soul bare in a way I strive to and yet shy away from. I know she struggles to be as open as she is, and yet that makes it all the more lovely. She's raw in the best sort of way.

Emily is a poet. She's remarkable in her ability to take the mundane and make it magnificent, or the magnificent and make it feel manageable. She writes with purpose. I like that about her.

Penny is truth incarnate. She shares all of it, from the cake to the blood and guts, and her realness is what keeps me going back again and again. Penny is honest, creative, and deeply moved by this world. And she writes about it.

So there you have it. If you haven't read some of them, you should. And whenever you read things that move you, I truly hope you'll pass them along.