Why?

The question circulating amongst bloggers the last couple of days is "why do you blog".  My answer is multi-faceted.

When I was a child I was a voracious reader.  As as result I liked to write stories.  When I was in high school I did very well with creative writing and enjoyed it enough to continue as an adult.  However, as my family grew and my responsibilites became more numerous the writing went to the bottom of the list of priorities. 

One day my son mentioned that his friend, Tuesday, had a weblog.  I had no idea what that was so I started exploring.  I was fascinated and started reading blogs and then I decided I wanted one for myself.  So, in July of 2006 I wrote my first blog post.  My writing was sporadic and was broad based -- I didn't adhere to any particular theme like some bloggers do.  I just wrote about what was in my head at the moment -- that might explain some of the random posts -- there wasn't much in my head! However, it was an outlet to do a little creative writing. I enjoyed it as it wasn't a huge commitment of time.

Somewhere along the line the whole concept of blogging changed for me.  I wasn't using it as a venue for creative writing anymore.  I was using it as a place to discuss interests.  As a result I was also reading more blogs and making comments and having discussions with people that came from all over the world.  It was fascinating to find people who were interested in the same things, struggling with the same things, talking about the same things all over the globe and there was no concern about race, age, or financial circumstances.  It definitely made the world a smaller place for me!

Now, I blog for the community of it all.  I don't have a huge following probably because my posts are so varied -- and sometimes I just don't have a lot to say.   I like to do book reviews and I like to talk about cooking and crafts but what I mostly like is keeping up with my blog friends and family. I check my bloglist every morning and I love seeing what Mary, Bonnie, Gill and  Jane have been up to.  I keep up with Joy and Michael and their new life in the Hill Country. I love seeing the photos of the houses, the babies, the pets, the decluttering, the crafts.  Every morning when I sit down with my toast and tea I feel like I am having coffee with my friends.  If they haven't posted I worry about them.  I feel like I can confide in them and share my feelings without judgement. It doesn't matter where they are from, if they are younger or older or their circumstances -- they are interesting and I enjoy their company.

So, that is why I blog.  Surprised?