I had an interesting conversation with my mom the other day about blogging. We were wondering if it has the potential of being an ego booster. How interesting can I make my life sound? How intellectual can I make myself out to be? How much can I speculate about and analyze the world and/or my surroundings? And how much do I desire for people to read it?
This thought occured to me as I wrote my last post, making a comment about how many people read this. I was encouraged and excited to see that at least three people have been here (thanks so much Chris, Peter, & Troy! You rock!). They were the ones posted comments anyway...I believe my girl from Cali reads this at times (Word To Chi town, baby!) And I think my family may come here, so of course they rock too...Guess I'm not THAT alone in the world of blogging!
But honestly, what is bloggin for anyway? Is it to keep in contact in a generic form with those we don't often see? Is it a way of journaling and getting thoughts out of your head, allowing people to comment if they so choose? Is it a way of being heard when no one else will listen? Is it a way to boost our ego in saying "Oooo, who read my blog & commented?" or "How smart can I sound today?" I don't really know the answer to that one...I think I may have a little of all of them in me. There is part of me that just has random thoughts and it's kind of theraputic to get them out there, you know? I mean, I highly doubt I'll ever be published, so this is the closest thing. There is a part of me that enjoys analyzing things that are going on around me. And there's also a part of me that thinks, "Who's really interested in my life?"
I remember in high school, I had an English teacher who used to have us journal every Monday for the whole period. Then, after maybe 6 or 7 weeks, he'd collect them and make comments throughout it. We could be as open and honest as we wanted, as lame as we wanted, as creative as we wanted...Whatever. He would then keep them for a week, and make comments throughout it. I loved this and looked forward to it every time! I still have those journals, and they meant so much to me at the time, that amidst high school, someone cared enough to take the time to read my thoughts, and make comments on them. Maybe that's the real reason why I love the whole world of blogging. It brings me back to a time where I felt like someone was listening...
That sounds kind of sick and pathetic doesn't it? Well, for whatever reason ANY of us blog, I must say that I'm enjoying it...I'm enjoying writing, reading other people's blogs, and commenting as well as receiving comments.
So thanks to all of you who have read this! You rock the casbah!
3 comments:
Chris again.
I had a similar discussion with someone, and I described blogging (or using an LJ like I do) as this: "It's like sending mass email talking about what you're doing to your friends and family, but without risking annoying them with spam. If someone wants to read what you're up to, then they can. And if they don't, then they can call you up and talk to you to find out."
That's sort of why I do it. You'll notice that I too have very few people commenting on my entries. (http://livejournal.com/users/morcath -- I had to plug it somewhere!) It's more for me, I guess.
But also look at why YOU read other people's journals. See, if you weren't interested in their lives, then you wouldn't read it, right?
Those are my thoughts.
I read your blog and enjoy it. I'm a college friend of Kelly's and met you maybe once. But interacting with virtual strangers has a little ickiness factor in it so I just read. -Andy
good questions... i think for me it has the combo of i like knowing what is up in the lives of other people and maybe some want to know whats up for me. and i figure, if no one wants to know, they won't visit, right? and also it is alittle exercise in writing--i'm always looking for that.
i still journal... fits my still being a middle-schooler i guess....
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