Guest Post: My Pretzel Logic

Guilty Pleasures: Neil from My Pretzel Logic. Every time I read his work I am in awe. He writes beautifully, and it easily draws out emotion, awakening the poetic and artistic side of me. I have enjoyed getting to know the guy behind the blog!

1.        What kinds of things you want people to know about you?

I love to tell my story, but I also love telling a good story. I want readers of My Pretzel Logic to know that.  Now, a good story doesn’t always have to be a true story so, in my blog, I periodically dabble in fiction. I love prose and poetry.  I love to write about what make people tick so to speak.  I read somewhere that our blogs are our unedited version of ourselves, and I find that largely true, although not always in a literal sense.  Take for example the entries in The Caffeine Chronicles section of My Pretzel Logic which deals about relationships in general.  The posts also appeared in my now-inactive Multiply account. Back then I used to receive tons of amazing and well-meaning messages and feedback from readers – some asking how I’m holding up while others gave good advice on what I should have done.  While the entries might give readers a good idea of how I view certain issues, it is best said that The Caffeine Chronicles is mostly metaphorical.  But it is just fascinating to see how readers respond as though they are reacting to real people and situations.  Such is the beauty of a blog.  Whether fact or fiction, everyone loves a good story.  That is why I make it a point to read blogs even more than I write them.

2. What is one philosophy in life you live by?

One of my favorite lines is “Coffee is only as good as the company we keep.”  I was sitting in a coffee shop one day sampling this new espresso macchiato blend.  I took a sip and instantly lit up muttering about how it was the best coffee I have ever had, only to realize that I was alone, raving like a lunatic.  In every similar moment, we’ll find that we need somebody to share that moment with – a partner, an officemate, a friend or a dog maybe.  In the bigger scheme of things, the people near us are our only true possessions. So I have since learned to value people more than I do material possessions.

3. What is one goal you are currently working on for yourself or your blog?

I must admit I do not have lofty goals for my blog. My Pretzel Logic is mainly the repository of my thoughts and my experiences. I post my stuff in the internet because the blogosphere will last infinitely longer than paper…that’s the idea at least.  I learned my lessons; I lost most of my published works back in college just because I kept copies of the magazines in the wrong unmarked box and because I didn’t respect the term Back-up Files.

I am always appreciative of readers who share my experiences, even the casual walk-in reader, for what is a blog without a following. But mostly I keep writing in the hope that the people that matter most to me will discover it one day (Google it, perhaps?), read it and maybe take something out of it.  A blog could be a very good substitute to a memoir.

As for my personal goals, I hope to complete my projects “Sophia” and its sequel “Strumm” (novels about humans and angels) someday.  Who knows, if I get better at writing and find the final products worth posting, I might serialize them in my blog.

4. What is one of your guilty pleasures or obsessions?

Obsessions:

·         Home Theater

·         Books

·         Music

Guilty pleasures:

·         A dark chocolate bar on the table or in the fridge is always an occasion for sin.

·         At the Soup & Salad bar: I plop 2 whole pieces of hard-boiled eggs into my soup. You should try it some time.

·         I still play my guitar and sing in front of the mirror sometimes. LOL!

5. And lately my obsession has been people’s views on kids. So talk to me about kids, what do you think being a parent would be like?

Kids are a bundle of happiness.  Being a father to two kids, which are enough, I can say that fatherhood is a most exhilarating and harrowing experience altogether.  One moment I am staring at my sleeping child with boundless joy, the next moment I’m scared stiff of the thought of whether I could be a good provider for the child’s future.  I’m a nervous wreck when it comes to my kids’ future.  If you still don’t get it, let your baby tightly hold your finger long enough and wait for him to say Mama/Papa or Mommy/Daddy.  Right there and then, you’ll know what I mean.