Why I Blog

In ninth grade, I met a Bible college student in a chat room. We eventually started emailing each other and became really good friends. For a while I felt like he was my only friend (perhaps unhealthy, but it got me through). If you know me well, you've heard me talk about Brian and the impact he had on my life. We eventually met in real life and stayed in contact. When he got engaged I started emailing his wife too, and it's been pretty cool to stay in touch through the years. In some ways, I still feel like Brian knows me better than most of my friends.

I don't hang out in chat rooms anymore (RIP Yackety Chat) and haven't for years. I stopped doing IM chat too because I hate how long it takes to have a conversation and I don't have a lot of spare time to sit at the computer anymore these days. I don't randomly facebook request people just so I can get to know them. I'm a housewife with a husband and kids and friends and I don't feel like I need to. My life is nice and stable.

But I've recently met a new friend in cyberspace. She's really cool and insightful and talented at writing (among other things). She has an interesting life, and I met her through blogging. It's kind of neat. We read each others' blogs and comment on them. She reminds me of friends I had in high school who don't talk to me anymore, and I like the openness there is in meeting a stranger and not having to put up pretenses because it really can't hurt you to be yourself when the other person can't even see your face.

A few years ago, I met another lady because of my blog too. She found me because she'd been researching my blood clotting factors and stillbirths. She'd lost a baby around the same time as me, and we started emailing. I love having another Factor V Leiden friend.

What can I say? I like meeting people over the interenet. I don't go out of my way to do it anymore, but if something falls in my lap, I'm pretty happy to pursue it (within reason). Technology is a fabulous thing when we use it to build each other up and encourage our lives.

That's not actually the primary reason I blog, but I do find it to be a very enjoyable side effect. Two other reasons I blog:

Stay in touch with people I don't get to see often. Well, at least they are in touch with my life. I get to check up on friends who are serving God in other countries, which is probably the best way for me to keep updated with them.

Hone writing skills I used to journal all the time. I'd fill notebooks and those leather-bound diaries that look awesome at Barnes and Nobel. Unfortunately, time and not having a desk space of my own have diminished that. (In fact, I shouldn't actually be doing this right now). I heard that Earnest Hemmingway (not positive it was him but some famous writer) taught a class, and he'd have his students spend the whole hour writing. He'd suggest doing it every day because, in some ways, it is a skill that can be practiced and built. I'm sort of out of creative juices lately, but blogging is a good way for me to practice articulating my thoughts without any pressure of deadlines or whatever.

Encouragement to others I always hope someone who needs to read something I've written will stumble upon this page and be uplifted. I don't know how often that happens, but I think it does. I think that's why I've met the couple of gals that I have. It's not that I think I have a lot to share that's deep or meaningful or useful. But sometimes even lame things can become relevant to someone's life.

Well, that's enough talking now. I have to catch up on my Bible studies. Back to real life.