People blog for different reasons. Authors blog for different reasons. Why do I blog?
I could say that I blog to spread the word about my books, that I want to share my journey to publication (and beyond) with others who are interested, that I want to offer advice from time to time, so that others may find their own journey…and, while all of that is true, there is really only one reason that I blog.
I want to celebrate every moment and enjoy that celebration with others.
Apart from being occasionally mopey (hey…I’m goth–it’s in our rulebook), I’m a generally happy person, who firmly believes in celebrating every moment. Because you never know when that shrimp you’re eating is carrying a deadly bacteria…or that the cab driver in front of you becomes narcoleptic when on bridges. You just never know. So I celebrate everything. Good writing day? PARTY! Managed to vacuum the living room? PARTY! Partied? PARTY! It’s just the way I am.
It annoys some people. And to that, my reaction is: Annoyed people? PARTY!
Because life is dreadfully short, minions. It’s short and it’s hard, so why not enjoy it? I don’t talk about myself and my accomplishments because I’m an egotistical windbag, I talk about those things because it’s taken me a long time to get to a point where I can honestly celebrate myself. And it’s my hope that you’ll all get there too, if you’re not there already. G’head. I’m holding on to some bat confetti just for your celebration! (Hmmm…maybe we should call it “batfetti”)
I love life…and I have a deep, profound respect (and curiosity) for death. Maybe it’s this balance that makes people walk on the other side of the street from me. (The other day, I was told that being a perky goth is when you’ve become so dark, so down that you’ve punched through to the other side…yeah…I can see that)
So the question “why do I blog?” can be answered with one, simple word. C’mon…say it with me. PARTY!
Yours in Eternity,
Heather
P.S. EIGHTH GRADE BITES is popping up all over. PARTY!
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Girl, I need to get me some of what you have.
But, really. Everything you said here is true. We should all be happy to celebrate ourselves. I wrote in a closet for years worried someone would sneer or like make fun of the dream. Today? Most of the time I can’t shut up about it. Because I am reaching for something that is right there in front of me.
Life is not worth living if you don’t keep trying for a dream. And of course partying.
“Life is not worth living if you don’t keep trying for a dream.”
Well said, Bethany!
You sound like a hoot, Heather. I particularly liked the vaccuuming-inspired PARTY! I cleaned the bathrooms today, but I didn’t celebrate like that…I think I might have missed the best part (by far)!
Yes, yes, yes! You’ve discovered one of life’s great meanings, Sister.
Big hug,
Christopher
Alyssa: Ick, bathrooms–the reason to party after doing that is that you don’t have to do it again until next week. LOL!
*hugs for Christopher*
It’s funny… but a great idea. I am in the midst of a LOT of house remodeling (aka DIY). I reward myself when I complete a section of the project. Keeps me going.
In a weird coincidence, I was interviewed for a magazine article yesterday where the interviewer asked me the same question, “Why do you blog?”
What was your reply, Ewoh?
In fact, I’d love to know why all my minions blog (if you do). What does it do for you?
OK, here is (mainly) what I wrote about why:
… [I]t gives me a place, or the space, to just talk about the things that are important to me, or that I am dealing with. It started off as a place for my writing… but I “extended” that to be about me and my life, because that is what I draw on for my writing – they really can’t be separated.
I usually write about whatever is happening, but I try to make it something that someone who is reading the blog can connect to, and I try to keep it focused on writing related things but that is not always the case. I also try to frame a question for people to respond to… [for] two reasons actually: for one, it lets me know if people are actually reading, by inviting them to participate, and the other is that it lets the reader know that there are other people out there who are dealing with things, and maybe they might find something they are struggling with being posted so that they won’t feel alone in the world. We all have that thing we deal with where we “know” that we are weird because of it, when actually we aren’t, and it can give us some solidarity.
Wonderful reply, Ewoh! Anyone else?
You surely were also reading the same passage as I, “You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more..”.