I have this overwhelming urge to blog about blogging tonight. It's late, I'm wired on too much late night Dr Pepper, and sleep is anything but imminent. I'm going through my blogroll, catching up on blogs I don't read often, and surfing to find a few new ones, and I can't help but ask myself what is the purpose of blogging? Most blogs in my personal blogosphere (as read on the right hand side of the page) are just reflections and antidotes about life. Some people are clearly better writers than others, some fancy themselves good writers, and some are just plain boring. So I asked myself what is my point? Why am I blogging? I get anywhere from 40-60 readers a day, of which I can probably guess 15-20 of them. So that means I don't know who the other 50% are, and why they read. Of the 15-20 I can identify, half of them are in constant contact with me, and are so involved in my life that they appear in half my stories, and I am in theirs. And why do the other 20 people care? I started this blog as a travelogue of sorts for my trade shows. And as a way just to get some extra writing practice in. But lately I feel like I don't get to stretch my brain enough. Every time I do another "blog tag" I ask myself, "is this really what I want 20 complete strangers to think of me today?" Or do I want to force my political views on them? Or just give them a good laugh? I'd say this past week has been an all new low in blogging. From pictures of t-shirt stains to a high school picture of George Clooney, I've really managed to show my juvenile side. I feel I should apologize and also tell you that besides reading People magazine this week, I've also had in-depth politcal discussions, read some fascinating books, and nearly completed writing a novel. I'm not always a flake. Just like the title of this blog states, I do have moments of clarity along with my moments of chaos. Hopefully my schedule will improve soon and I will be able to give more meaningful blogs to my faithful readers.
Just like one should never apologize for lack of preparation or begin a talk with "When Brother Smith called me I wanted to say no, and I didn't think about the talk ever since until last night..." or variations on that theme, one should never apologize for putting whatever you want on your own blog, I say.
ReplyDeleteSure, most of what I write on my LJ is pretty boring to those who don't know me, but I use it as a way of keeping in touch with old friends who live too far away--or, as a way to privately process my life events, which is how I used my paper journal. (I stopped writing in my paper journal when I started the LJ because I found I typed much faster than I hand-wrote.) My professional LJ is one more way to network, for me.
The other 20 people, for you, are probably former readers of A Single Thought, like me. I actually can't remember how I found your blog--probably through Sherpa--but I found that you said things a little less "sterylized" over here than you probably could in the column.
I don't worry about the complete strangers unless they go all psycho on me like a certain right-wing fanatic who sent his minions over to my LJ to make fun of me and call me dirty names. Then it goes private until the weirdos go away. Unless you're getting strange comments or email from weirdos, I wouldn't worry about it. (Of course, I say that coming from LJ, where you can't check your stats. So I might wonder similar things if I could see my own numbers...) ;)
Thanks Stacer! I think mostly my contemplative nature came this week from the realization that I have now officially been read on all continents in one week. And what did the read? a blog tag. And a rather silly one at that. Gee, I feel so influential and exciting!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I think you found me by way of Hardy hacking my column one day, and me starting a blog war with him over it.
I'm all for more readers. I really enjoy the feedback. I actually wish more of the 20 anons would speak up so I could read their blogs too. You can never have too many reads on the blogroll I say!
When you said "just reflections and *antidotes* about life", did you mean "anecdotes"?
ReplyDeleteI know both work for me, as I find the anecdotes in this blog an antidote to many of the problems/ challenges in life.
Oh, and I'm probably one of the anonymous 20, but I don't have a blog.
anecdotes, antidotes. it was 1:30 in the morning and it all made sense at the time!
ReplyDeleteWell, I did know what you meant; I just like my reading better ;)
ReplyDeleteThat, and I found the juxtaposition of the 2 words humorous.
Hmm, sounds like a case study for Interpersonal Communication 102. Or maybe not.