Preamble

So I keep telling myself I want to blog, but so far I haven't done it with any consistency. I've been asking myself what I need to do to blog consistently and why I want to do it at all. Here's the reasons I want to do it: I like to express myself in writing. I always have. I feel like blogging would give me a forum to put down my thoughts and to organize them as well. I think a blog could be a place where I could let all my interests mix and simmer like a hot, delicious stew. I am currently frustrated that I spend so much of my energy at work doing things I have to whose very value I question. I have no choice but to go to work and do these things because if I didn't, I wouldn't have the means to live the way I'd like to live when I'm not at work, and to have the things I like to have. But I wish my work was what I enjoyed doing. I suppose that's having your cake and eating it too, but I know there's plenty of people out there who have that, and wish I was one of them.

But at the same time, I'm more fortunate than many because while I don't love my job, I don't necessarily hate it either, and at least I have a cake to eat. There are plenty whose cake is stolen from them and eaten by others right in front of them.

So to have a forum in which to explore my interests and passions is why I want to keep a blog. The second part of the equation is keeping it updated consistently, and by consistently, I'm thinking at least once a week. These are the ways I'm thinking I can accomplish this. The best way, I think, is for me to not share it with everyone, and maybe not anyone in the beginning until the thing begins to roll of its own momentum. I want to be free to say what I feel without fearing the judgment of others. Perhaps it's gutless to not feel free to say what I think anyway, but I have to be honest with myself about how I am. I don't want to always be having to defend my opinions or to be worrying about offending others with my words. I consider myself a reasonable, thoughtful person, but I certainly don't have charitable opinions about everyone and everything, and I want to be free to express those uncharitable opinions if I desire to do so.

Of course, I do want my blog to be read by others at some point. It's sad for me to think of writing my heart out, and having my words exist in oblivion where they are never seen by anyone. If no one hears a tree fall, did it make a sound? If no one reads what you write, do your words really exist in any meaningful way? I'm not sure. But I do know I don't need to be linking my blog to my facebook page for awhile if I'm going to successfully keep a blog rolling.

I'm thinking my second key to keeping a regular blog is to keep it simple. I don't want to be trying to write the Magna Carta every time I sit down to blog. I want to write down what's in my head without over-editing myself. When I write fiction, I tend to move at a slow pace much of the time because I'm constantly wondering if I'm actually writing as well as I can. When I'm writing this blog, I don't want to care if I'm writing as well as I can. I just want to put the words down and let the pieces fall where they may. I don't want it to be a struggle. I just want to say whatever comes to mind. Also I don't want to narrowly define what I'm going to write about in my blog. I want it to be about whatever I want to say, and allow it to define itself.

So with all that said, let's see if I can do this thing!