Friday, November 26, 2010

Let the posting continue.

While the main reason I haven’t posted since my anniversary is because my job has consumed too much time and energy, another significant reason has been an internal battle over whether I should be blogging at all. I am not on Facebook or Twitter, and am not part of any of today’s other means of electronic socialization or conversation. In fact, as technologically savvy as I think I am, I really am disconnected when it comes to social media. Since I can count the number of readers who read this blog on one hand, it seemed wise that I should just hang up the spurs, so to speak.

Furthermore, when I hear prominent people, or at least people that I look up to, say negative things about blogging and bloggers, I inwardly cringe. Am I vain or self-absorbed? I certainly recognize certain symptoms. When I started this blog in December 2005, the purpose was for family to keep up with what we were doing. Most of our posts were family related. But the siren song to a seminary student of readers and theologically deep writing grabbed hold of me, and I found myself reminding people that I was blogging, and I spent hours trying to write posts worth reading. I am quite sure I was more of an annoyance than a blessing. I still don’t think any of my family reads this blog. In fact, I chuckle inwardly now when I talk with people who recently started a blog and subtly remind me of that fact four or five times during a three minute conversation.

I have convinced myself several times in the last few months to simply be done. No more posts. But then I will come across a quote or paragraph or thought that I immediately want to post. Why is that? I am not sure. I guess it really is the same reason that other people are on Facebook or Twitter: we want to share something of ourselves with others.

So, the point is that I have decided to keep blogging. However, my expectations are extremely low. I do not really know how many people read this or if anyone will still read it since I haven’t posted for five months. That is not the point. The point is that this blog is a bit of an outlet for me. It gives me an opportunity to record a thought or post a quote that I found interesting. It allows me to record something that I thought was important, if even for a moment. Maybe my wife will read this and we can converse later over the dinner table. Maybe when I am dead my kids will read this electronic remnant and find an insight into their dad they didn’t know. (Sorry, that was morbid.)

This isn’t much of a reason to blog, and it certainly doesn’t fit with a desire to gain readership, but it is enough of a reason for me to continue doing this.

My goal is to post at least once a week; something, however small. If you do read this blog, please don’t expect much, and thanks for reading.