Blogging - Is It Really Just An Exercise In Egotism?

Right when I thought I was done for the night, I go and read an entry in someone elses blog and am now led to answer the question; "why do I blog?"

Heck, I don't know.

Well first of all, this is the entry I was talking about, by a former co-worker of mine from KISW in Seattle, Jon Ballard. He's on the air at DC101 now.....

http://jonballard.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_jonballard_archive.html

The entry I'm referring to is called "I'm Ok You Suck"

I guess, to a small degree he has a point. But if you think about it too much, it's just a viscious circle. And then I was left stinging a tad by his comment:

"Just look at the internet. People are putting up online shrines to themselves, figuring that the world is just waiting for a chance to look at the photos of their family outing to Gettysburg.

These BLOGS are the same sort of exercise. People offering, in excruciating detail, the minutiae of their daily existence. EVERY FRIGGIN' BIT OF IT."

I was sitting here, getting a bit indignant saying, "well now Jon you cheeky git, you've a lot of room to talk now don't you?" But then he makes the very same point himself, very succinctly I might add.

For me, well for G and I....we talked about a blog for a while and thought it would be a cool way to keep everyone up to date on what was going on with the pregnancy, and all the assorted odds and ends, epsecially when our entire family is seperated by an ocean. Yeah ok, I admit, I do tend to go on and sometimes I can be a bit self-focused, a point I've aknowledged on my own.

And those that know me know I write. It's what I do. I can't really claim anything else (aside from my voice, but I'm not sure that's a talent) as a talent. I'm sure there are plenty who would disagree that it's a talent. And I've been fortunate enough to be able to get paid for using both the voice and the writing.

Not only do I enjoy the outlet that writing offers me, I enjoy the cathartic value of "blogging". Sure, I could, and do keep a personal journal, but my journal is my outlet for the darkest of darks and things I don't share with ANYONE. To a point, I keep the blog civil. Well, most of the time anyhow. I can vent, share, explore, discuss, be opinionated, etc - as much and as often as I want to, out here.

Anyhow, bottom line for us, is that this blogging thing is an easy way for us to keep in touch without sending mass emails that more often than not, annoy rather than keep those we love and care about, in touch with whats going on with us.

Well, the actual bottom line is this....it's my blog. I'll write about what I please, and if it bothers you - even all those painfully excrutiating details of our personal lives (just wait till peanut gets here, you ain't seen nothin' yet babe!) you're not being forced to read it.

And yeah, that comes from the very bottom of my egotistical little heart!