Why Blog?

My first assignment: Write a blog post about why you have a blog.

From here.
Posted by: Alana


I recently asked my brother-in-law why he didn't just beat me over the head with the thing. The Tivo, that is. He and my sister had been trying to gift me their old Tivo for a year. It even came to my house, got hooked up, and I was given the remote tutorial. Still. I was resistant to change. We have a satellite dish now and my dual-tuner DVR and I couldn't be happier or more in love. I continually thank my brother-in-law for doing what he had to do. I thank him for his tough love, for slapping me until I swallowed my medicine.

Similarly, my friends and I used to publish the JNAC Chronicles. Everyone had a month assigned to create the newsletter. Yes, we typed, printed, folded, stamped and mailed! What a chore! Nicole (the N) mentioned for years she had a blog that I should visit. I didn't really know what a blog was or want to make the effort to find out. Finally, she shoved it all down our throats by turning or out-of-gas newsletter into a group blog, the JNAC Chronicles. We all post on this blog and I couldn't be happier or more in love with it. That's us up top. Also note the visual addendum, Paul. We'll get to him later.

I blog because I like the audience. This audience of best friends, in particular, is nice. (They are unshockable, I think, allowing me to drop phrases like "naked and howling at the moon.") But just knowing anyone is reading compels me to write.

Consider: When was the last time you talked out loud to yourself?

I talk to myself when I am alone in the desert. Perhaps tripping on a rock I'll shout, "Son of a (bite tongue)... motherless goat!" I talked to myself last week while trying to take a scratchy tag out of a shirt with a seam ripper... "Mother (bite tongue)... may I!" When talking to myself, I don't expound. I keep it short and... sweet? I'm already in here, in my head.

I hate writing in a journal. I utterly refuse to do it! If I'm giong to write about my life or my day or brag about my child, I have just got to have an audience. I cherish my time alive on earth; it's short and precious. If I am going to take ten whole minutes to expound anything, it better damn well serve my vanity.