Did I discover anything earth-shattering?  No.  Not really.  But the blogs were popular, had some great comments and interactions, and somehow contributed to a later shift in my consciousness.  I was also awarded the Brillante Weblog Premio 2008 award by my friend Dawn, who specifically mentioned the Man's World series when she honored me with it.

I recently realized how lucky I am to have some pretty special male friends right here.  I've probably not ever had such a collection of unique and interesting men in my life before.  In fact, it's recently occurred to me that the qualities these male bloggers share of themselves are the very same potential qualities I've seen in the men I've been with in former relationships.  But men aren't children, and women aren't meant to commit to potential without some tangible indication of substance, although we do tend to, don't we?

Dewey

F-Stop

 

     

Here are my seven favorite male bloggers (in no particular order):

Doug is a talented writer, but even more than that his blogs set the stage for some great, in-depth discussions.  I met my friend Lee in Doug's blog, and continue to learn much from discussions with both of them, as well as others.  His recent blog Rumbling Paradigm is indicative of his talent and is probably my favorite, although it's really tough to pick.

Bill wrote the 50 "Time Capsule" blog series that started a major shift in consciousness for me, which is something I will always be grateful for.  He's finally back to writing his daily stream-of-consciousness blogs that are like having coffee with a friend each morning.  Always light, humorous, and thought provoking.  It's great stuff.

John isn't blogging as much as he used to, but his blogs are always full of spiritual wisdom, as well as some humor.  A Biblical scholar and author of several books, he typically points out the absurdity of literal interpretations, which oftentimes tickles my funny bone.  Since I didn't grow up with fundamental religion and come across these common interpretations for the first time in his blogs, I've learned a lot!  John's gracious in not kicking me out of his blog when I get silly, and I do try to behave….  But he has a great rebound and can get right back to business answering others' more knowledgeable serious comments, so I don't try too hard ;)

"Doo", as he's commonly referred to, is highly intelligent, well read, a whiz kid on current events, and damn is he funny!!!  His skillful use of gutter-mouth mixed with just enough blatant sexual non-innuendo, folded into his keen observations of the serious absurdities of our culture and daily lives, can make even the most serious ~Moon Goddess~ declare "F**k It" and dance naked in public fountains….  His recent blog, Labor Pains, was dedicated to moi ;)

I don't know much about Lucid Dreaming, but I just love Michael Nielson's blogs about the bigger picture of life and love and the Universe.  Michael doesn't claim to know "the truth" but invites us to consider the possibilities with his unique writing style of describing the complexities of metaphysics and quantum physics with the beauty and grace of poetry.  His profile page and blog pages are simple works of art, in that his writing, graphics, and especially his music selections blend together to make an online environment that's calming, energizing, enlightening, and inspirational – a great place to just "be" as one among so many, yet connected to all.

Last, but certainly not least, Greg Barrett is the author of "The Gospel of Father Joe," the book I've come to love as if I'd given birth to it myself.  That I didn't makes it all the more special because finally so much of what I believe to be true, and have struggled with to define those beliefs, have been experienced and written in the book's pages with a depth of expression that I could only dream of discovering.  Greg's blogs are equally brilliant and well written, as he generously shares his experiences and wisdom gained from those experiences with his readers, always willing to discuss and/or clarify beliefs and issues in the comments.  It's hard to pick a favorite, but Greg's blog What's Behind A Book's Inscription opened the door to some beautiful insight into the heart of the imperfect, yet determined, unconventional priest, Father Joe Maier and the equally imperfect, yet determined, father, husband, and author, Greg.  Finally someone has found the words to describe real male bonding, in the most genuine, most heartfelt, and most heartbreaking of circumstances. 

I think deep down, most men do want to be more loving and you guys inspire me that more men will discover their own unique ways to tap into the love they have inside.  Getting past the emptiness of our obsessions with sex, money, entertainment, and controlling others is clearly on the collective agenda.  You guys are, in my eyes, pioneers of that new frontier.