a-muse-ing

Sometimes blogging feels like sending a message in a bottle. You write out your thoughts, bundle them tightly in your post, and send them out into the ocean of cyberspace. Can you imagine how you would feel to see that bottle wash up on shore with a reply scribbled on the note?

Everyone who commented on the survey mentioned that they found community in blogging. Some blogged because of community and some found community as an added benefit to blogging. It’s as if our Bridge games of old have been replaced with World of Warcraft (not me) and the religion blogs have replaced the old rabbis debating scripture in the temple. We no longer gather around the soda fountain on the corner — we eat “virtual” ice cream together. Instead of reading the newspaper and chatting about politics, current events, and sports, we read it online and then blog or comment.

Many of us desire to be professional writers and blogging is a way to refine our craft. Writers tend to be perfectionists and very self-critical, so I think it is also a way for us to get feedback, encouraging us that it’s worth the pain and effort.

There is such a feeling of accomplishment when you can take your thoughts and form something that elicits emotion. I think that is the essence of why I write, and I think the online conversation keeps me blogging. One thing that was also mentioned or alluded to was how we learn and grow off of each other — we read each others blogs and comments and then it helps us to look at things in a different way or to show us that we aren’t crazy. Blogging gives us something that writing in isolation cannot give us.

I thank you all for taking the time to comment and for giving me this enjoyable community. Although you might think I only wrote this post to solicit comments, there was another reason as well — I think we learn from questions. I think by answering questions — or at least taking the time to ponder them — it helps us reevaluate our purpose, our goals, our dreams and to find meaning in what we do. I guess that is the lifecoach/existentialist in me.