Experiencing Hub pages at its best and worst

Emotional ownership for writers on hub pages. Kindness toward others and non intimidating words will draw readers faster than fanatical views and radical hateful responses. Always embrace diversity and you will receive the same in return.

I have not written any new articles in a while. Not that i have been uninspired, but i have been guilty of neglect in keeping up with reading hubs of other writers.

So, i have taken a brief hiatus from writing to read as many as i can. It has been quite an eye opener for me. I have read many great awe inspiring things; such as beautiful poetry (as well as some i can't really understand, or interpret - my short coming, no doubt).

There are so many highly intelligent writers on here - it is truly awesome and humbling; and a few that are lacking in proper basic grammar skill.

I have found many wonderful new recipes and tried most of them with success and a few that flopped - again my short coming - not the publishers of those recipes.

I have met people from around the globe with many different points of view. (Most quite valid)

I have read a few that are grossly biased, narrow minded and quite ill informed on such controversial topics as religion and politics, filled with highly charged personal opinions, both pro and con, on all subjects.

The hub community is extremely diverse and there is so much to read, learn and appreciate, it can be quite overwhelming to try to read them all: and extremely time consuming to try to diligently follow all who follow us.

I have read some very passionate articles that are so non-mainstream that i could find no words to leave as a comment after reading them. Imagine, ME, being speechless!

The majority i have read were a sheer pleasure to experience - well written and knowledgeable in their particular subjects and themes. I may not agree with the contents or opinions of some, but if well written and well presented, i truly have enjoyed reading all of them.

I have learned many things i did not know about cats, dogs, birds, squirrels, snakes and many other common and exotic life forms of life (both flora and fauna).

I have read poems about love, landscapes, oceans, skies, darkness, evils, hopes, hatred and total despair, that brought both laughter and tears to my eyes.

i have read about people who have such love and compassion for others that they open their door in the middle of the night to help a stranger in distress without thoughts of their own safety.

I have read stories about miracles, the paranormal, babies, child bearing, and child rearing. Comical things that made me laugh out loud, and horrible tragic things that have made me cry and stirred my very soul.

There are many, many things written on religions, blind faith and agnosticism. Things that truly matter and things that totally matter not.

During my working years, as a nurse, my whole life was focused on my work and related subjects. Now that i have the time to explore other avenues and other venues, i am amazed at all the diversity of this life, around the globe, and those who have little or no tolerance for diversity, no quest for knowledge or for spiritual 'growth'.

Many are so religiously focused on such a narrow and slanted view, that their guilt and fears, so deeply ingrained, do not allow them the freedom to explore other options, or open their hearts and their minds to new ideas and new concepts, and who are perfectly satisfied with their totally closed minds. This saddens me on so many levels.

There is such religiously severe physical, emotional and child abuse on every level that affect so many lives that many people cannot get past it and cannot enjoy life as it is meant to be enjoyed, to its fullest.

Amongst all the diversity and beauty in this world there lies a darkness that is in such stark contrast, it is bleak and stifling to those poor souls who live their entire lives locked in it; dwelling in such hatred, intolerance and mean spirited-ness of inbred bigotry that they have truly frightened me, at times.

Those hubs/hubbers that have constant negative views, thoughts and intolerance are quite pitiful and can be mentally damaging (or challenging) (or draining) to those who embrace open mindedness, kindness and empathy toward others. These negative people seem to have a way of dragging others down to their level and if one is not careful, it can be very disheartening as well as contagious.

But, all in all, the hub pages community has given me a broader outlook on humanity as a whole, but not a whole lot of optimism for positive change any time in the near future.

We, as a species, still have many obstacles to face and overcome:

• Old religious beliefs that need to be reconsidered, overcome and discarded.
• A deep political divide that breeds negativity, distrust and divisiveness.
• A society run amok by a few powerful and wealthy people taking undue advantage and taking too many selfish liberties that are restrictive, self serving and destructive to our society as a whole.
• And an apathetic majority too spoiled by conveniences and too reliant on a government that no longer represents their best interests.

We can read all about it on hub pages - all the pros and cons, all the baseless opinions you ever care to hear, all the negativity we do not need, and way too many people whose only knowledge is attained from their obsolete religious indoctrination teaching and whose only mental capability is "quoting scripture" as truth in their pathetically narrow lives.

All this, in concert with those positive, enlightened, intelligent and spiritually progressives who are so feared, and hated, by their self limiting religiously and politically dogmatic counterparts.

Hub pages has changed in many ways in the past year that i have been part of its diverse community, and hopefully it will NOT go the way of other successful (conglomerates) that aspire to cater only to a one sided censorship and assert undue influences over the way people think and act in the quest for greater profits and control.

It is already starting by allowing Google to censure topics and content they find objectionable and unacceptable by their own standards. Standards that embrace their profits potentials and their own versions of morality.

I have had 5 of my own articles deemed "unsuitable" for their ads to be placed on - due to their "conservative" censorship. Censoring topics that are common everyday events seems a bit ludicrous to me, but who am i to judge since i am one of those open minded liberals that believe that equality belongs to everyone and morals belong to individual discretions.

My favorite quote is still: "The more i learn - the more i realize just how much i still don't know". I first heard this quote many years ago by Barbara Streisand during one of her rare interviews on t.v. and never forgot it.

Keep up all the good work, you fellow hubbers. Keep writing, keep reading, keep commenting and most importantly - keep learning - with an open heart and an open mind.

by d.william 08/14/2011