It is sooooo encouraging when someone tells me that they read my blog.  While it’s something I love to do, there are days when I wonder if anyone is reading at all… or if I’m just blabbing away about nothing important.  When I talk to other regular bloggers they have the same exact concerns.  Does what I’m doing matter?  Am I being too public with my life?  Why exactly am I doing this again?  Then I realize that I have those same thoughts when I do anything hard or for a long period of time.  One specific example comes to mind: running races.  You give it your all, it’s not like a Saturday afternoon jog in the neighborhood.  At some point I inevitably ask myself, “Why the hell am I doing this?  This hurts way too much for a voluntary activity.”  But when I reach that last mile, and especially when I cross the finish line, there is no bigger feeling of pride in the world.  Knowing that you did something that challenged your physical and mental strength, and coming out successful, is a joy like no other.  That’s the way I feel when I reach big milestones with my blog.  Big blog moments are reaching a new post goal (reached 800 just last week), writing a really good entry that people respond to (the most unexpected posts can do this) and receiving some sort of recognition for my efforts.  There is also the added benefit of having a journal of my life that I can always reflect back on, plus the priceless awareness that I am never alone.  It may not seem like it on the surface, but our lives are all so similar.  We struggle with the same things and feel the same feelings.  What better way to learn than to share.  So if you’ve ever thought about starting a blog, do it.  Even if you don’t know what you’d write about, start with that!  Tell your story.  Through pictures, through words, through time.  Don’t worry about how often you do it either, just let it come naturally.  I post a lot compared to most people, because I love the challenge of digging deep for content.  I surprise myself most days.  You will too.  Another tip: don’t worry about the Grammar Nazis or the haters, it’s not about them.  It’s not about how well you can form a sentence or how good of a speller you are.  Lord knows I would have been booted out of the club a long time ago if that were of any importance.  I do not have a writing background, I was not an English language scholar.  But dangit, I love to write in my blog.  Having a blog has also given me courage to write other things, like screenplays and hopefully one day a completed book.  Bottom line, it’s all about the content.  For those with work or personal concerns, consider writing under a pen name.  Be anonymous.  Just do it: write, write, write!

Have a wonderful weekend… see you all on Monday.