So, why DO people blog?
I started this thing over a year ago, and never put up a post. I've been struggling, you see. Struggling with why people in general do it, and why I would want to do it.
And I have wavered between Johnny Depp's famous statement (that was really about celebrities, but still applies): I don't know why anyone would care what I (or any other celebrity) would think about anything.
So yeah. I don't know why anyone would care what I (or any other non-celebrity) would think about anything.
I have also thought about a wise former student's opinion about social media in general: if it's all about self-promotion, then what are you saying about yourself every time you say something? You should be jealous of my ham sandwich? You should admire my skills in the realm of opining on subjects about which I actually know nothing? You should play this stupid game because I play this stupid, time-sucking, brain-draining game?
So yeah. I worry that blogging is a way of putting my notions about anything out there, because they matter. Because I said that they matter. This is dangerous thinking, maybe.
And then I think about how it's possible that the most interesting things I encounter or deal with are often things I cannot address in even a semi-public fashion. I'm an educator. I can't just share the highlights of my days in the classroom (or more importantly, the office) willy-nilly. There's this thing called privacy. And there's this other thing called a job. And yet another thing called unpaid bills. And finally, another thing called a hungry, diabetic, 17 lb, 18 year old cat named Salvador.
So yeah. In order to take care of Salvador and pay the unpaid bills, I have to have a job. In order to keep the job, I have to respect the privacy of lots of individuals with whom I work.
And I like being an educator. I strongly suspect that I may have been born to be one. *That's* how strongly I feel about it.
And then I wonder what on earth I might put in the blog that observes all of these parameters. Let's face it, we've all seen the blog entries that don't make our skirts fly up. There's a gift in storytelling that some people missed when the presents were passed out. There's the chance that the laborious tale of a recipe's creation - accompanied by bad photos - will make exactly NO one want to re-create it. And my (better, I swear) photos and narrative of my latest trip to Europe might just tick someone off or bore them beyond the pale.
What on earth can I add to our shared existence that hasn't already been said or thought or argued?
I want to consider that Gandhi missive, which is something to the tune of: speak only if it improves upon the silence.
So my task will be to improve upon the silence.
I will promise to not attempt to improve upon the silence by:
- cuteness....I don't do cute.
-rants....but I might have something strong to say. I do have fire all over my astrological chart.
-being all teachy....but I might share some stuff I've learned. I do like to learn stuff.
-posting just to post....if the silence isn't punctuated by anything for awhile, it's because the silence is fine. Or I'm too slammed. Or I'm closing the laptop and looking someone in the eye.
And now, I will await silence's call for improvement. Right now, it seems just fine without me.
I started this thing over a year ago, and never put up a post. I've been struggling, you see. Struggling with why people in general do it, and why I would want to do it.
And I have wavered between Johnny Depp's famous statement (that was really about celebrities, but still applies): I don't know why anyone would care what I (or any other celebrity) would think about anything.
So yeah. I don't know why anyone would care what I (or any other non-celebrity) would think about anything.
I have also thought about a wise former student's opinion about social media in general: if it's all about self-promotion, then what are you saying about yourself every time you say something? You should be jealous of my ham sandwich? You should admire my skills in the realm of opining on subjects about which I actually know nothing? You should play this stupid game because I play this stupid, time-sucking, brain-draining game?
So yeah. I worry that blogging is a way of putting my notions about anything out there, because they matter. Because I said that they matter. This is dangerous thinking, maybe.
And then I think about how it's possible that the most interesting things I encounter or deal with are often things I cannot address in even a semi-public fashion. I'm an educator. I can't just share the highlights of my days in the classroom (or more importantly, the office) willy-nilly. There's this thing called privacy. And there's this other thing called a job. And yet another thing called unpaid bills. And finally, another thing called a hungry, diabetic, 17 lb, 18 year old cat named Salvador.
So yeah. In order to take care of Salvador and pay the unpaid bills, I have to have a job. In order to keep the job, I have to respect the privacy of lots of individuals with whom I work.
And I like being an educator. I strongly suspect that I may have been born to be one. *That's* how strongly I feel about it.
And then I wonder what on earth I might put in the blog that observes all of these parameters. Let's face it, we've all seen the blog entries that don't make our skirts fly up. There's a gift in storytelling that some people missed when the presents were passed out. There's the chance that the laborious tale of a recipe's creation - accompanied by bad photos - will make exactly NO one want to re-create it. And my (better, I swear) photos and narrative of my latest trip to Europe might just tick someone off or bore them beyond the pale.
What on earth can I add to our shared existence that hasn't already been said or thought or argued?
I want to consider that Gandhi missive, which is something to the tune of: speak only if it improves upon the silence.
So my task will be to improve upon the silence.
I will promise to not attempt to improve upon the silence by:
- cuteness....I don't do cute.
-rants....but I might have something strong to say. I do have fire all over my astrological chart.
-being all teachy....but I might share some stuff I've learned. I do like to learn stuff.
-posting just to post....if the silence isn't punctuated by anything for awhile, it's because the silence is fine. Or I'm too slammed. Or I'm closing the laptop and looking someone in the eye.
And now, I will await silence's call for improvement. Right now, it seems just fine without me.
