Thursday, January 02, 2003
Why Do I Blog?
Yesterday I read an article about how some Blogs make a difference in news reporting. The article stated that Trent Lott’s comments got the scrutiny these did receive because of some Blog’s influences. This opinion was countered by a Journalism professor in California that said for the most part, Blogs are inconsequential and are primarily the product of “navel-gazers who are obsessed with self-reflection, as is our nation.”
Is this why I write a Blog? In many ways, it is like a diary, but Kristin uses more as such than I do. More often that not, I use it to point out the funny and bizarre I have seen, or to recount events that happen to me. It’s easier than actually seeking people out and telling the same story over and over. However, doing so makes me a little more insular. As it is, I often feel cut off from others – Kristin and I have no strong friends in the area that we hang out with, and even at work, my office is isolated from others at the end of a hallway – people usually just stop by to talk on their way out, making my office more a side stop than a destination. Hmmm…sounds like I am navel-gazing.
Still, I don’t express everything in my Blog, as I would in a diary. I self-censor, knowing that others read this Blog. I’m especially diligent in that I know those few that do read it are friends and family. If I ever think something and don’t say it for fear of offending, why would I turn around and commit it to semi-permanent print? That would be drawing a line for conflict with others, and I tend to back down rather than stand on a line.
Well, this is my New Years’ resolution. My Blog will be a line in the sand. I’ll say things here I wouldn’t normally voice, because I think it is important for people to know where I am coming from. And if my thoughts are in print rather than voiced, so much the better. That way, I can’t backtrack and say, “I never said that.” Because I did, say it, and everyone can see that I did so. What better way to see growth and change?
So, in the spirit of my resolution, I ask you, the reader, to comment on the following; “If you read this Blog, why do you not ever comment on it.” I’d like to engender discussion, to find out what others think about the issues or factoids I present, but no one seems to do so here. Later, however, they might make reference to an entry in a conversation, and I always wonder, “then why didn’t you express it here?” Is it because you prefer to do so in person? Did we not make it clear? Are my conversation topics not that interesting? I’d really like to know, as it feels like no one actually reads, which I know isn’t true.
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