Reading someones blog is a bit like being allowed to read their private intimate diary. Many people  (myself included) reveal all sorts of personal things about their life, their dreams, their fears and their struggles. Blogging is quite often a kind of catharsis and for some, a type of exhibitionism – a platform  from where they can get a thrill revealing their intimate secrets – whilst others just chart the ebb and flow, yin and yang of their daily life.

I have favourite blogs (see my sidebar) that I enjoy reading for all sorts of different reasons. There are some I read because they’re just plain fun, others because they are outrageous or outspoken and some because I feel I can relate to the writers – or we share a common experience or interest. Now and then I press the random button taking me to other blogs I might never normally read. Blogs to me are the real soap-operas of life- they are the daily chronicle, the future history books that reveal what life is really like in the 21st Century. If Shakespeare were alive today, there is no doubt he would be blogging daily! Think for a moment – if you could read the real live blog of anyone from history – how fascinating would that be?

I can truthfully say that reading blogs has been very educational to me. It’s no secret that I started blogging as a deliberate action to gain the experience of blogging  (for a novel I am currently writing that is based around blogging). But I have learned far more than just how to blog etc. I have been able to glimpse into worlds I might never have the privilege to enter – I have had the opportunity to listen to the views of people from all sorts of different backgrounds and beliefs. I may not agree with everything they all say, but it has been fascinating and inspirational in equal measure to read them. So thank you.

Now and again I come across a post that stops me in my tracks. Ryan wrote just such a post yesterday, entitled: Learning to breathe - on his cancer survival blog. It’s worth a read – not just that particular post – but his entire blog. The reason being that Ryan is writing a true, no holds barred, warts and all, account of what it’s like to know you have testicular cancer and have chemotherapy. He has been baring his soul on-line and giving us, his readers, a real insight into his physical and emotional struggles with his cancer. We share his fears and hopes, witness his mood swings as he undergoes the grueling treatment that will save his life, share his laughter and sometimes cry with him as we share his despair. Ryan is having to learn a whole new range of coping mechanisms – after all, there is no school curriculum that prepares you or teaches you how to cope with cancer.

I am in awe of Ryan. His candid honesty is really helpful to anyone else going through this awful experience -  it will help others know what to expect, enable them to feel they’re not alone – and in my book, knowledge is power. Knowing what to expect can make it easier to cope with. Courage is not the lack of fear. It is the moving forward in spite of it. Ryan has immense courage.

National Cancer Institute: General information on testicular cancer.

Frequently asked questions about testicular cancer.

The Testicular Cancer Resource Center