Why I Blog

 

I never thought I'd blog.

I didn't think it was "my" thing.  But I kept feeling like I "should."  I try to ignore a lot of "shoulds" because many of them are just thoughts that make me feel guilty and really aren't things I "should" do.

"Shoulds" in this category:

"She runs 8.4 miles at 4:17 every morning.  I should do that."  No, really, I shouldn't do that. I tried going to Jazzercise one early morn for the 5:00 class.  I was not a nice mother for days afterward.  Don't ever ask me to do that again, Leslee!  I don't enjoy getting up until the time on the clock begins with a 6.  Then I'm good to go.

And that's okay.  

"She gets her hair done every other Thursday.  I should do that."  Um.  No I shouldn't.  I don't care about my hair that way.  Although, I was voted Best Hair in high school.  Yes, I'm still holding on to my 1/2 second of fame.  I'm pretty sure the title should have been "Longest Hair", not "Best." 

"She speaks softly to her children all the live long day.  I should do that."

Okay, maybe I really should do that.  I'm working on it people!  

Anyway, this blogging "should" didn't go away.

After one and a half years of this blogging thing, I started thinking about why?  Why do I do this?  Why did I feel like I "should" in the first place?  Why do I spend time on this endeavor?

I guess I wanted to know in my mind that there was purpose to it, because if there isn't a positive purpose in something that is taking my time, why do it, right?

Here's why:
1.  I Enjoy Blogging 
I mean I really truly enjoy blogging.  I enjoy turning on my favorite Pandora station ("New Soul" radio) and just going at it.  I enjoy taking the photos.  I enjoy looking back and remembering events.  I enjoy sharing.  I enjoy comments (whether on the blog or in person) from people who tried something, agreed with something, were encouraged in some way or laughed at something.  I enjoy the creativity.  The design.  I really enjoy all of it. 

2. Blogging Motivates Me 
I think my blog motivates me more than anyone else.  It motivates me to take pictures.  To do cool stuff so I can share.  To be positive.  To do better.   

3. Blogging Makes Me Learn
Originally when I began to blog there were some frustrating times as I had to figure things out and learn how run this thing.  There is still so much I don't know but I find satisfaction in figuring something out.  I remember when all I wanted to do was post a file to my blog for others to download.  It took me several nights to figure it out.  I was tempted to ask my husband, but I wanted to do it on my own.  When I finally figured it out (after lots of huffing and groaning at the computer) the feeling was awesome!  I feel very strongly that I need to keep up my skills in technology.  I don't know why but it's something my husband and I have discussed.  The more I learn about something, the more I realize I don't know!

4.  Other Bloggers Encourage Me
Before I began my own blog I never read any blogs.  Since I began blogging there are a handful of blogs I read regularly and I have found myself so motivated, uplifted and encouraged by these bloggers.  What's interesting to me is that not everyone sees blogs this way.  My sisters don't read blogs (I don't think they even read mine) because blogs discourage them.  I am the complete opposite.  I know that a blog shows a tiny snippet of a person's day, it doesn't give the whole picture.  But that tiny snippet can really be encouraging to me.

5.  Blogging is making me, like, super rich.
I got a $50 gift card from a store once because I blogged about them.  I think that means I'm making $.00000000000008/hour.  Perhaps The Mr. should quit his job and we can live off my amazing blogging career.    

Yup.  I think that sums it up.

Now, go throw all those "shoulds" you've got lurking in your head in the trash.

Unless you've got some "shoulds" that you really "should" do. 

Like feeding the children.

Don't throw that one out.

Just dump the dumb "shoulds."

The end.

--Sanz