I have been thinking lately about my reasons for blogging. NieNie's experience has also caused me reflection on how blogging can be so impactful. In my conversations about blogging with non-bloggers, I have often heard the comment, "I don't blog because my life is boring. I have nothing to blog about." This comment, aside from being highly untrue, implies that I consider my life so exciting that I want everyone to read about it. And that is also highly untrue. So with that, here are the reasons I, Stephanie Webb, am such a devoted blogger, and why I believe I will continue to be for a very, very long time.
1. Blogging inspires a grateful heart. I know that's not exactly a phrase you would needlepoint and hang on your wall, but it is very true for me. I have always loved to write. I have always been a journal-keeper (although not a very consistent one). And I have found that the more I write, the more I have to write. The practice of blogging (almost) every day has gotten me into the habit of looking for things to blog about. The more I examine my life more closely and take time to appreciate what I have, the more grateful I feel for what I have. "Seek and ye shall find." Right? When I am looking for blog-worthy things, I end up seeing my life in a whole different light - a much more positive light. No, my life is not exciting, and I don't expect anyone to care enough to read it. (It continually flatters me when people leave comments!) But there are many, many things about my life that are worth writing about.
2. Blogging is a record of my life. Going along with my first reason, my blog is pretty much my journal. Probably a better journal than one not posted on the web, because knowing that I have a live audience forces me to think more carefully about what I write. But it's still my journal. In my patriarchal blessing I was told to keep a record of my life, and I feel that in blogging, I am following that wise counsel. I don't want to forget all the wonderful (as well as horrible) things that happen to me, and my blog is a perfect place to write it all down. CJane has an awesome quote on her blog that I LOVE. "We write to taste life twice, once in the moment and in retrospection." Anais Nin, you hit the nail on the head.
3. Blogging is a great way to stay in touch with people. As I am not very big on keeping in contact with old friends (if you are my old friend, you are probably nodding your head in agreement), but I do LOVE to hear what is going on with them. I'm not a phone person, and I'm not a tremendous letter-writer either. But reading my friends blogs (as well as people who are not my friends but I wish they were) helps me keep track of them, as well as make me feel like I know them in a different way. Hearing someone's thoughts and feelings on a regular basis is not something most people get in everyday friendships. Blogging makes that level of intimacy possible. Plus, you don't have to have any of the hassle of actually speaking in person or having a phone conversation, or even e-mailing. I sound like a real hermit, don't I? You know what I mean. You can just slink around the internet like a social outcast and read what they write. I love that.
4. Blogging makes me love my family more.
I love these guys. 'Nuff said.
5. Blogging is addicting. Like I said earlier, the more I write, the more I have to write. Not an hour goes by now that I don't think, "Ooh, I should write that down and blog about it tonight." I have a couple notebooks stashed around the house with several lists of things that I want to blog about (this being one of them, in fact; I wrote this down and have been thinking about it for a couple weeks now). But I think it's addicting in a good way. I might not say that on days where I look at the clock and realize I have been doing nothing but reading other people's blogs for two hours, but in general I think it's a great thing. It's a good community to belong to, as we have seen from Stephanie Neilson's experience. In short, I am proud to be a blogger.
So there are my top 5 reasons for being a blogger. Blogging rocks. I love it. And if you are reading this, I hope you will step back and look at your life a little differently. Nobody's life is boring; everyone has something to write about. Everyone has a story to tell. There are always little nuggets of beauty to be discovered everyday. Now go find them, and blog about it. :)
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