Why I Blog

Those who have finished by making all others think with them, have usually been those who began by daring to think with themselves. - Colton

Words are things; and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. - Byron

Sometimes I ask myself why in the world I blog, considering how packed my life is with stuff I already have to do. Why do I need something else on my ‘to do’ list? If you think about it hard enough, or over-think it as I tend to do, you’ll realize that blogging is a lot like housekeeping: you should really take care of it most every day! Of course, this does bring up an interesting thought: if I don’t keep up my blog every day, is this a reflection on the way I keep house? If you are a member of my immediate or extended family, or if you are a family friend who has been to my house any time recently, please do not answer that question. If you feel you must, please defer all answers to Bertha Mae.

Aside from the fact that I must invest time in keeping a blog, there is also the fact that there are a gazillion-million blogs out there. What difference will mine make in the world of blogging? Do people even care? Again, I’d prefer not to know the answer to this question. Just let me be happy thinking that the answer is yes.

The truth to these questions lies in a few true facts:
1. My brain is constantly in a state of thinking, thinking, thinking, and there are no sign of this phenomenon slowing down. If I do not get some of this stuff out of there, it’s going to explode! Okay, well, that is being a little extreme. How about if I say that stuff will start oozing from my ears? That sounds better. However, I do not want to be worrying about having to clean that up every day. Icky. So, I have to do something to get keep things from getting too crowded up there and running out all over creation. I figure a blog is a better option. However, please be thankful that I do not post about everything lodging in my brain. It’s crazy up there, and I do not know where half of it comes from. Lots of randomness going on.

2. I am in a pretty stressful season in life. For example, if you’ve read any other of my posts, you know that my dad died from lung cancer the day my oldest child graduated from high school. Other things going on include the fact that, last August, the youngest of my five children turned thirteen. I am now the mother not just of five children, but five teenagers. Please say that I have your sympathy. And prayers. Also, send money while you’re at it. It is expensive raising kids. Ha! Just kidding. Anyway, let’s not even discuss what it’s like having five children ages 19 down to 13. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what it’s like. Okay, well, since I tend to be Miss Chatty Kathy, I probably could, but that’ll be a post for another day. Or maybe five posts. Who knows how long I could talk about that. Anyway, sorry for the rabbit trail there. My point is that writing is very cleansing and therapeutic for me, and it really helps me sort through both the many of the thoughts I talked about in #1 and the changes going on in my life. Truth be told, my brain isn’t the only thing that is in danger of exploding. Sometimes my emotions and feelings really take a beating. Writing and sharing about my life really helps calm me down and helps me put things in perspective. Albeit a fuzzy, cross-eyed one.

3. Honestly, I just enjoy sharing my life with others because I enjoy reading blogs about the lives of others. I have many blogs bookmarked that touch some part of me or that are about subjects that are of interest to me. Even if I touch just one life, even if I make a difference to just one person, like those blogs I visit regularly, it will be worth all of the time I have invested in learning the workings of a blog, the time I spend typing, and all that good stuff. I love people. Period. The best thing in the world to me is making a new friend and learning all about who they are. And, of course, sharing about myself.

4. I love humor, and, thankfully, there are many humorous things about my life. You’ve read about a few of them: my sister’s kids, the ‘other’ me, and how I’m a bonehead Christian. Making people laugh and getting their mind off of life’s difficulties is really important to me. Sarcasm? Not so much, but occasionally I’ll throw that in there as well. Even though I’ve had several humorous posts, if you continue to read my blog for any length of time, you’ll learn that sometimes I’ve just got to be serious too. I might even make you cry. I will apologize for that in advance. But tears can be . . . and almost always are . . . more cleansing than laughter. It’s like a bath for your heart. And Lord knows that my heart gets stinky sometimes and really needs a bath. You probably realize that from reading my post on being a bonehead Christian.

5. Last of all, I want to challenge people to think . . . about life and blessings, about how fortunate they are to have a family, about whatever happens to be on my heart that day. If you read those quotes at the beginning of this post, that is, to me, the most important thing about blogging. What do you think Byron and writers like him would think about the internet? That quote came from a book I have that was published in 1897. That’s 111 years ago. The world of publishing has changed so much in the last century. How amazing that we can reach people all over the world with just a touch of a button!

Everything in life should have a purpose, even a blog. Especially a blog! If you are going to invest time in something, make it worthwhile. Whether you touch one life or a million lives, whether you bring a little laughter to somebody’s day with stories of your crazy life or a few tears to cleanse the heart, or whether you challenge people to think, blog with a purpose!

So, that’s just what was on my heart today. If you read my blog on a regular basis, would you mind leaving a little comment just to let me know if you like it, if I’ve touched you in some way or maybe made your day with stories of my insane life? I would even accept suggestions on topics or how to improve things around here. Critics will be deferred to Bertha Mae.

Your sister/friend/mother/wife/daughter (depending on who I am to you),

J.L.