Friday, July 22, 2011

Why Blog?

Recently a friend who checks out my blog on a regular basis made a comment to me about not seeing any postings since May.  She told me she knows I must be reading and she checks my blog for new reading ideas.  I admitted I am still reading - I have just been too busy to blog.

So the question is ... Why Blog?

If you are looking for THE REASONS to blog, this is not what you are looking for.  Instead these are reasons I blog - and why I need to get back to it.

One of the reasons I blog is because I read.  I started blogging to record my thoughts about what I read.  Of course there is more to it than that.  Sometimes it may be a way of passing information along to others about reading / writing stuff - like the monthly meetings held by the local Mystery Writers Group.  (Incidentally ... I do not consider myself a writer but my interest is as a reader.)  Sometimes I use my blog to communicate with the writers of the books I read and may have an interview in my blog.

I wish I could say the reason I have not been blogging the past two months was because I was on vacation - I WISH!!!  I have been occupied with work.  You know - WORK - the thing we all must do unless we are independently wealthy.  Unfortunately, work has been occupying my thoughts outside of "normal" hours as well.  I know ... I heard from several sources that I need to shut that stuff off when I leave the office - and I try.  And I realize it affects other parts of my life as well - including blogging.  That is one of the reasons I have NOT been blogging.  My mind has been occupied by work.

That brings me to another reason for me TO BLOG.  Blogging is a way for me to redirect my thoughts - a distraction you might say - just like reading can be.  Although I have been reading, I have not been successfully taking my thoughts away from work.  Blogging about what I read provides me with a way to "get away from work".  The last two months I have not allowed myself to do that. 

Funny thing is ... although I have been so preoccupied with work, this is also a reason why I have not been real efficient in work - I have just been getting by.  If I admit it to myself - and I am - taking the time to "get away from work" should help me be more focused when I am at work.  I feel it will although this blog is mostly about work it is NOT really about work - so I feel good.  In case you are wondering, the thing for me about blogging is the thought it takes to do a post.  That is the reason BLOGGING is good.  Now I just have to make sure I keep up the practice.