Why Blog?

I have always been a really good, devoted journal-keeper. 

Somehow my life seems to be so much more enjoyable when I write about the mundane events of my life.

The French author, Anais Nin, said, 

"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection."

I like that.  And I completely agree.  

And frankly, I think life tastes yummier with the second taste!

Writing lets me reflect about my life, the things I do, the things I think about, the things that happen to me, the way I feel. 

My poor journal has sat on my bookshelf with very few entries in it over the past two years

because I now have a blog.

Sometimes I feel guilty about neglecting my journal, but then again, in a way this has become my new journal.

And not just my journal, but our family's journal.

But why blog instead of just writing in my journal?

While in San Diego, we were out with a few friends and the conversation turned to blogging.

Some of those present thought that blogging was ridiculous, narcissistic, and often comical.

It got me thinking:

Oh, geez, do they have a point?  Is blogging just a way of satisfying narcissistic tendencies?

Why do we blog?  To silently say, "Look and me!  Look at me!"??

After thinking for awhile about why there is such a trend of people writing on blogs,

I came up with a few of my own reasons:

I blog because I don't get writer's cramp while typing and can write a whole lot more in a shorter period of time.

I blog because I can later print it out into a book for our family to keep and read.

I blog because I can add cute pictures of Miss Chubby Cheeks to my posts for the grandparents to see and adore.

And yes, I blog because I do want to say to the world, "Look at my child!  Look at my child!"  She's just so darn cute!  Can you blame me?

I blog because I want to share my testimony of Jesus Christ with others.

I blog because like with a journal, I can get my feelings and thoughts out in words.

I blog because unlike with a journal, I know people are going to see this so I try not to say anything to ridiculous, outrageous, or embarrassing while I'm in an emotional, writing rage.  This will hopefully ensure that my posterity will see me as less of a nut case.

I blog because hopefully family and friends will read it, know what's going on with us, and then I can keep the Christmas letters short and sweet!

I blog because if there are other people out there who ruin their cheesecakes and botch sewing projects worse than an 8th grade home ec. student, I want them to know that they are not alone.

I blog because I hope there ARE other people out there like me who create disasters, because I don't want to feel alone!

Mostly, I think I blog because I want to have witnesses to my life. 

Maybe this is where narcissism does creep in a little.....

 While I love spending most of my days with my little toot, I miss the majority of my family and friends who live very far away.  I love them and want to know what is going on in their lives (so I read their blogs!)

I hope they feel the same for me.  

I want to be validated in how I feel and what I experience:  Does anyone else have similar emotional outbursts, frustrations, cravings, hobbies, and random thoughts?  Is my child the only one out there to have colic for six months and then start throwing tantrums by 8 months?  Is there anyone out there who has not experienced the magic of my mom's tortilla soup and would like to have the recipe? 

does anyone else do the following when their children's noise level has reached glass-breaking shrill-ness?

 (Sorry, but I couldn't resist.  Makes me laugh so hard!)

Many of my family members have their own blogs and I frequently read and enjoy them.  

Recently, one of my cousins blogged about her family's fishing trip.  No one left comments.  She followed up with a humor-tinged post saying that she was not going to blog anymore because no one was leaving comments even though she had written an awesome post!  

I must admit, I have felt that same exact way before!

I can't really speak for my cousin, but I believe I feel that way because, again, I like the comfort of knowing that others are witnessing my life.  

That they care about what happens to me.  That they love and support me. 

So is that bad?

Is it really narcissistic? 

I don't know.

But I think I'll still keep blogging

for all the reasons listed above,

but mostly for the following reason:

I blog to taste life twice....and to offer others a taste, too.