Quapropter
Why i write this meaningless, not-so-smutty junk
I like reading other people’s blogs. Strangers, acquaintances and friends. Friends mostly; i check everyday. I love the voyeuristic feeling of trying to get to know someone through what they write. I know this is a crock of shit. You can never really KNOW someone, and particularly not a stranger through 500 words a day. But, it remains a creative activity on my part to attempt to construct an individual from the words scattered across the page. I always wonder how much my own writing really reflects who i am. when i re-read it myself, i am always astounded at how calm i appear when often i begin writing in a frantic, semi-panicked state. As i am unable to multi-task my attention span, the amount of focus blogging requires usually does calm me down. It is incredibly soothing. Writing for an audience requires a level of censorship that private journaling doesn’t. I think that’s constructive.
I also write because practice makes perfect. I, like every would-be academic, would like to make a living off my work at some point in the future. that won’t be possible unless i manage to cultivate a style worthy of readership. I’ve changed my reasons for blogging many times over the past three years and have only once considered taking down items from my past. i realize that i may be judged based on asinine things i did years from now - but the benefit of being able to catalogue for myself and revisit these moments, even the shameful ones, is too great.
Why the password-protected posts?
After the discussion above, it probably seems odd that some posts are behind a password. I sometimes write about other people and include details they might not appreciate my sharing with anyone who stumbles across my little corner of cyberspace. Personal friends and long-time readers, essentially those people whom i would tell about the events in an MSN conversation or on the phone, have the password. If you want it, please feel free to ask. I sometimes retroactively protect posts because i realize that no one who has just met me needs these details.
Why not just keep a journal?
I used to. But the narrative was over-powering. I started writing entries at random pages and i have reread those entries over the years - but i much prefer categories and tags for organizing my thoughts. Furthermore, it helps me stay in contact with friends. I send out over thirty postcards from every travel destination: that’s a lot of writing. There is no way i could keep up with email correspondence as i would like. Luckily, many of these people are on my blogroll and follow me via RSS feed. I don’t intend to stop sending postcards anytime soon - real correspondence is a dying art that i am willing to single-handedly keep alive.
