Most of you reading this post are WordPress followers. I’m sure that you, like me, often wonder who the human being is behind the curtain for certain members of your comment “community.” Sonia is one of those followers for me. Except she’s not a WordPress follower, but an email subscriber. I continue to shake my head in wonder at the wonderful network that is established in blogging. I reached out to Sonia following a comment interchange and I asked her to share a bit with me about her.
In April, 2012, ~ six months after this blog was launched, Sonia signed up to receive email posts. Sonia, 25, is a Muslim. She is from Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan and the third largest city in the world. (Pop: 23 million.) Sonia is pursuing an MBA in Human Resources and is two courses and a thesis away from graduation. She also works as a Corporate Coordinator at a major multinational Health Insurance Company.
I asked Sonia how she found my blog. She said that she “was searching the internet for articles and ended up in the world of Blogs. Now among the millions of bloggers, why did I subscribe to your Blog? A million dollar question! I used to have (write) conversations with life (in a childish diary that I have) and I was surprised to find you having a conversation with your Mind in one of your posts. I was awestruck because in last 5 years of my conversations, I never came across a person who did that. So I subscribed to follow your blog.”
(Note to self: Someone halfway across the world types “Bloggers Talking To Themselves” into the Google Search box and on Page 1 of the Google Search landing page they find me. Oh Boy.)
Sonia describes herself “as an introvert and an obsessed thinker. I’m not a Facebook freak like my friends. I check my emails daily. I love cars & car racing (Audi R8 is my favorite), action/inspirational movies, reading books/articles/quotes, shoes and clothes. I believe in learning and growing.”
I asked Sonia to send me a guest post. The next day, she had sent me three full typewritten pages. Here’s an excerpt:
In my thoughts:
I took a deep breath.
Without wasting a single moment
jumped off into the ocean.
Ocean, snow capped mountains, limpid water,
one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
I wished to be in that moment forever
And the words of Jax Teller
were swimming in the ocean of my mind:
“And maybe that’s the lesson for me today,
to hold on to these simple moments,
to appreciate them a little more.”
I am never present, in present moment,
If I am in a crowd, I am never there,
If I am with friends, I wouldn’t be with them,
If I am with my love, I might not be there either,
If I am with my family, you wouldn’t find me there,
I am detached, I am present,
Yet absent in the present moment,
But if I am with you,
I surrender,
Completely, honestly and with all my heart,
My heart, my mind, my soul
and my existence over to you…
I would love to re-live life
with all its victories and triumphs,
smiles and tears,
headaches & heartaches
because life indeed is an experience.
A few moments of consciousness
froze me inside out and I was ALIVE.
~ Sonia
Sonia is over 7200 miles away. Many time zones ahead. She lives in a world with vast cultural differences from our own. Yet, this thoughtful, intelligent, 25-year old lady is not so different from you and me.
Sonia, what incredible talent you have. Thank you for sharing your inspiring poem and message. Good Sunday morning to you.
Image Source: Flyinace2000, via Creative Commons
Live & Learn 
Tell Sonia she has done what most of us are so afraid of doing (including myself)… that is, surrendering to our thoughts, quietly thinking about who we really are and what we truly desire and accepting those thoughts. Her written words are a true description of what I feel at times but have never really accepted. This might be the case for others as well… Thanks for posting.
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Carmen, you are right. And I’m sure that her written words speak to many of us. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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No prob David.
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Thank you Carmen for your kind words besides I believe we are all connected some way or the other because we all have a heart and we all share this universe 🙂
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That is true, we seem to be blinded to that fact sometimes. Take care Sonia
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This is a wow!
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Julie, I thought the same thing. Incredible in so many ways…
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I can understand how you two found each other across thousands of miles and in the most serendipitous of spaces. She is as remarkable in her candor as you are, lovely and wise in her youth with insight that is beyond her years. What a lovely testament to her and to your friendship. I can understand why she is such a special follower and friend.
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As Lori would say, WMS. Yes, Mimi. Yes.
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Ya beat me to it, David. Mimi, sweet friend, you are SPOT ON. And Sonia, we are all blessed to get to know a bit more about you in this space….
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Awww.. Thank you so much Mimi for the love & appreciation. I loved your comment and Lori even I am blessed to be a part of this community & you all. xoxo 🙂
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Sonia sounds like a smart young woman, and as for us introverts, hasn’t the Internet been a boon? Thanks, David, for sharing a glimpse of your friendship with us.
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Thank you Lyne and you are exactly on point 🙂
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Thanks Lynne. She really is. And yes, the internet for us ISTJ, INTJ, etc, has been windfall. Thank you.
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Isn’t this really the best thing about the WordPress.com community? People breaking down barriers and borders to connect around ideas? What a great reminder of the incredible gift this community is…
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It is Todd an incredible gift. And I have you to thank for making it such a smooth entry.
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You are too kind. May I remind you you already had a bazillion followers and likes before we met? I just showed you some mechanical stuff. Perhaps you could share some of your engagement secrets with me… 🙂
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🙂 Thanks Todd. As they say, blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile.
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One of my favorite aphorisms!
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We are related somewhere back in our family tree.
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We ALL are and imagine how much better things would be if we remembered that…
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So true!
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You and I, however, may be twins separated at birth or at least two sides of the same coin. Good luck assimilating back into the Borg after the long weekend… 😀
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🙂 Borg it is/was!
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It’s the connections that bring us back for more – thank you for sharing Sonia with us, I hope she reads our comments of support at her very honest and well written post.
MJ
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Hello MJ,
Yes, I have read all of the comments & I am really grateful for the kind words & support from you all (:
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My pleasure MJ. She has been an inspiration.
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Sonia and you…are one of life’s gifts to each other. It is no surprise to me either that the two of you became connected. Your words reach out and touch so many, David, in such an extraordinary way…and Sonia was at the receiving end…a beautiful soul, capable of recognizing a kindred spirit, no matter the distance and circumstances. Thank you for sharing Sonia’s words. She is obviously an amazing young woman.
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Thanks Dear. I completely agree with you, David, is an inpiration for me. (:
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🙂
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Thank you Carol. She is amazing.
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She made me reflect on a Sunday morning. Not an easy thing to do.
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Smiling.
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HI Frank. Glad to hear it.
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This is such a nice gesture. My regards to you, Sonia. 🙂
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Thank you Gabriela.
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The world of blogging is amazing. I replied to a comment on my blog and now have a friend in Nigeria. My writing partner now has a friend in Mauritius. So cool.
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It is so cool Darlene, I’m with you.
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Thank you for sharing Sonia’s thoughts.
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My pleasure Perpetua. This is all Sonia.
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Such profound thoughts and expression…makes Sonia who she is ..an “obsessed thinker”..Wonderful beyond words..I will be reblogging this.
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Aww.. Thank you so much Swati 🙂
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Her thoughts are profound. Thank you for sharing.
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one world.
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Small one at that
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What a great connection, these connections surely are the true gifts of blogging that almost no one who goes into doing it realises are there waiting for them in abundance, that ability to cross frontiers, boundaries and borders to engage with like minded souls who are indeed in every country in the world, regardless of the many things that might also make us different.
Bonne continuation Sonia and David and everyone on here. 🙂
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Hello Claire,
I wish the same to you 🙂 & I loved your comment.
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So true Claire. I had no idea that this was in front of me when I started.
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I was in awe & wonder… It felt so good to see a post about yourself from someone you haven’t ever met & probably I might never get the chance to meet you David but despite that have such a wonderful relationship. And, thank you everyone for the love & kind words. The first thought that came in my mind was that I have got something to share with my grand children 🙂 Thank you David.
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Awwwwww, thank you Sonia. All you Friend.
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I “discovered” Lead Live Learn after reading a Michael Brown post (I don’t remember exactly how I found Michael). I often wonder about the people who regularly comment on this blog, who they are, what they do when not blogging, etc. I have grown to love reading these posts and the comments and love this community’s thank you, David! Sonia, your words are thought provoking and beautiful, thank you for sharing. I learn every day that we are one.
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Thank you Carolann 🙂
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Me too CarolAnn. Thank you and this community. Have a great week.
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Sonia’s writing is so compelling. Thanks so much for sharing, David. 🙂
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It is Sylvia. Thank you.
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