Communication is something that, as a writer, I am constantly thinking about.  Misunderstandings abound even when the various skills that make quality communication possible are present—and it seems like, unfortunately, these skills are not as honed anymore as they used to be.

On top of that, it seems all the more difficult to convey a deeper meaning as a writer because of the competition for eyeballs currently raging on the internet.  Some of the advice that bloggers get in order to get more readers seems to completely defy the very purpose of why I started blogging in the first place.

In this post, uploaded back in September 2008 on this blog, I compared Rihanna’s version of the hit song “Umbrella” with the cover done by Mandy Moore (video to both embedded below).  I still can’t help but think that, although Rihanna’s version is catchier, Mandy Moores’ conveys the meaning much more skillfully.

In light of recent events related to the rapid dissemination of fake news and the related lack of fact checking, it seems all the more important to let go of the fun but distracting, Rihanna-like trappings and focus on the core message.  As a blogger and author, it means resisting the temptation of going down the path of attention-grabbing and stay true to the purpose why I started writing in the first place: to contribute to the betterment of the word, one post at a time.

Mandy Moore’s Umbrella Cover

Rihanna’s Original Version

{ Sahar’s Blog is all about being in a constant state of learning.  So it only made sense for me to go back to all my previous posts and see how my thoughts on certain topics have changed over the last nine years.  In this new, ongoing series of posts, I’ll be rereading some of my older posts and reflecting on the same topic in light of what I’ve learned since then.  It’s going to be very interesting to see how things have changed! }