Why I Write

"Man Writing" by Oliver Ray

Why do I blog?  I've been doing it for just over two years now, and love it, but it takes a fair amount of time.  As this is post number 311, it means I'm putting out something every 2-3 days, so a fair chunk of my free time has been going into this.  The other day, I hit a milestone- I just passed 10,000 page views*- and that has me thinking about the topic.  Why do I write?

It's important to think about where your time goes.  What do you do, and why?  Time is an asset you can never reclaim or increase- so evaluate what you do with it, and adjust your lifestyle if you find yourself wasting it.  That said, below I think about why I write- why do I spend so much time blogging?

Why I Write

1. To remember

Our memories fade- fast.  This blog is a useful tool for me to remember what I've read, watched, done, or thought at this current time in life.  For example, I've been impressed with just how quickly I can forget books I read- but the memory returns when I look up my book review.  Trip reviews- which should increase in the weeks to come- are also helpful memory triggers for me, so that I don't forget the many places I've been blessed to see during my time in Europe.  Finally, as we age, we change in perspective and thinking- and not always for the better.  I write to remember what I thought at a given time so that I can look back, years from now, and see how I've changed- and evaluate if that change was good or bad.

2. To inform

Knowledge should not be hoarded.  I read, for example, for both enjoyment and learning- and this blog is a good way to pass on that knowledge.  Interested in King Arthur or Robin Hood, and wondering where to start?  Take advantage of ground I've already covered in those areas.  Not sure about visiting the Scottish Highlands?  Read about my experience to help you decide.  I'm not just posting this for me- I'm posting it for you, too, in the hopes that you can benefit from what I've done.  Of course, the views expressed here are my opinion only, and my word is not final on a given subject- but it is a starting point, and one perspective, if nothing else.

3. To confess and inspire

It's not about only remembering and informing- I hope you are (at least occasionally) inspired or convicted reading some posts.  I confess certain personal failings or tendencies in my blog, and I do so to inspire myself and others to be better.  Humans are fallen beings- we're capable of great things, but also easily led astray by our own desires, which can lead to self-centered and self-destructive patterns that affect not only us, but those around us.  The thing is, we're all that way.  Our individual struggles will vary from person to person, but no matter how you're tempted, or how you've failed, millions of others have done the same.  It's important to confess these failings to each other, and help/support each other through our weaknesses.  Society encourages us to focus on our strengths, but only by humbling ourselves and acknowledging our faults can we work together and grow into who we need to be.

4. To practice

Writing takes work.  Good writers practice- all the time.  I want to be a good writer, and so I write.  Some posts, believe it or not, I spend weeks developing.  Not constantly- perhaps 30 minutes one day, 10 minutes a week later- but I labor over each sentence, looking to see how I can make it better.  The beauty- and difficulty- of writing is in how many ways you can express yourself.  Two different writers can deliver the same content differently worded; one could be a best-seller, and the other a dud.  Words matter, and so I spend a lot of time practicing the craft.  Not with all posts, mind you.  I labor over some . . . and then there's my normal- the one I whip off in 10 minutes.  Even in the notes quickly produced, though, I'm practicing, and that's important.  

5. For my children

You never know how much time you have left on this Earth.  I could have 50 years, 50 days, or 50 seconds left.  If I would die suddenly, what memories would my children have?  Some, certainly, and of course in this day and age there are thousands of pictures to commemorate those who have passed.  Still, who am I?  Picture won't reveal the whole story . . . and by writing, I give my children a glimpse into who I am, what I like, and what I believe.  It's a way for them to connect with me, regardless of physical distance, and once I pass, they'll have my thoughts right here to review- if they want to do so. 


*hardly significant; Miley Cyrus has 17.4 million Twitter followers, so what I did in 25 months she can better by 1,740 times in 25 minutes.