Monday, March 10, 2008

Why do I blog?

I get this question all the time. I think it's a funny question. I think it's a question best answered with a question.

Why do we do anything? I train in karate and run and nobody asks me why. I am a voracious reader and nobody asks me why. I sometimes watch TV and nobody asks me why. I have a job that interests me although it might not be the most lucrative way to spend my time and nobody asks me why. I sometimes go to see films or plays and nobody asks me why.

I blog because I've always liked to think, to reflect, and to write. Blogging helps me think and reflect and I enjoy writing.

And I want to make progress just the way I try to get better in karate or get faster run times. In a sense, I work hard at blogging and try to think how best to share my thoughts.

Going through my days, I sometimes think of how I might capture a thought in a blog post. It reminds me of the times in my life when I've viewed my days in terms of how I might tell someone about it later. I've heard that actors and writers often live their life with one eye towards remembering each feeling and thought so they can use it later to power or to inspire their art.

And just like running, I'm not really doing it for anybody who might be watching. I'm mostly blogging for me.

When I'm running, if someone smiles and waves at me as I go by, I like it. I like it even more if they admire my form and note the speed. It's even more fun if I know the person or if someone runs with me. And while the camaraderie and social interaction is nice. it's not why I run. It's not why I go to the dojo, or why I blog. But the social side helps.

I do what I do (train, read, blog) as a performance primarily for myself because at the end of the day, I'm the one who cares.

Dad and David 2004ish
Dad and David 2004 ish

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post and something I've wondered myself. Although my blog is fairly new, I have already had friends question why I do it. I think I'll tell them to read your post!

Under there... said...

It also helps if you have a family competition about blogging. I followed Topsy's blogroll over here. Great blog and great way to explain why we do it!

Papa Bradstein said...

I think a more appropriate response question might be, "Why don't you blog? Or write essays? Or poetry? Or plays? Or stories? Why don't you write anything longer than an email or a tweet?"

Recently I've been having trouble mustering the energy to write, but when I do, I'm so much happier. It's a fun way to express myself and it helps me clarify my thoughts.

Beyond that, my blog helps me stay in contact not only with my immediate family, but also with far-flung aunts, uncles and cousins as well as friends.

Again, the real question is Why don't more people write?

Adrienne Christian said...

Great post.

When I started my blog, I did it for professional reasons. Now, it's more for personal ones - to express myself, to share my talents/abilities with my friends, and because writing simply feels good.

Perhaps most people ask, "Why do you blog?" because they feel like bloggers (and Twitters and Facebookers) are vain in that they can't stop talking about themselves.

khir said...

I like your reason. Your writing is good and full with energy. In past, I also learn karate. Still remember the steps but forgot most of them.haha your blog make me wanna learn karate again. Start to remember my guru :-)

BBat50 said...

<>Why did I start blogging?

I've always thought this is a great conversation starter. Ask someone how or why they started running. Or their job. Or blogging. And you often get fascinating slivers of life story and personality.

I started my karate blog since I couldn't seem to remember my kata without writing them down and studying them. And I kept losing my notebook so I put them on a blog. When people wanted copies, it was easy to share from the blog. Pretty soon, it was clear that the videos were more useful than the write-ups and I started writing more about my thoughts and feelings abou training.

Mostly, it became a way of recording what I had learned and what goals I was setting for myself.

Høng said...

Just wanted to say thanks for a great blog which I read with great pleasure all over on the other side of the earth :-)

Greetings

Høng - Denmark