Monday, February 19, 2007

Why Do *I* Blog?

Jorge tagged me, in my first ever blog tagging, with this question: "What are five of your reasons for blogging?" This is very reminiscent of Darren's "Why Do You Blog?" Survey (perhaps he, or one of his readers started this meme*?). So, while I did fill out Darren's survey, I never shared with you, gentle reader, my reasons for blogging**. So here they are, in conveniently numbered list format:

1. Procrastination

This is the main reason that I started my blog. For some reason, doing things that I don't *have* to do is always way more fun than things that I'm required (by contract, law or social convention) to do. In fact, the original tagline for my blog was "I'm not procrastinating, you are procrastinating."

2. Rampant Narcissism

I'm relatively certain that everyone on earth wants to hear about me. They want to hear that I went for a 10K run today (true), added "jumping over puddles" to my half marathon training program (also true), and am having Marc Chouinard's babies (not yet true, but hopefully some day).

3. Sometimes There Isn't Anyone Around to Hear My Various Witty Remarks***

If you walk around talking to yourself, people think you are crazy****. If you take those same thoughts, type them up on your computing machine and post them on the internets in a weblogging format, fewer people call you crazy. Moreover, people will actually read and respond to said thoughts, meaning that you can use your blog for the following purpose:

4. To Make Friends and Influence People

No, I've never actually read that book. But it is an apt description of why I blog. I blog because I like the community you can build. I meet people online that I'm sure I wouldn't have met otherwise. I've learned the benefits of being open, and vulnerable and sharing myself with others, in part, through blogging.

5. It Would Be Awfully Silly for Me To Have This T-Shirt If I Didn't:


Now I'm supposed to tag 5 people, yes? Jody, Phillip, Rebecca, Stacy and any of the regulars on Wasted Time - TAG, YOU'RE IT!! Of course, who ever does this on Wasted Time has to (a) blog it while drunk (in keeping with the rules of Wasted Time) and (b) you have to explain your reasons for partaking in a drunk blog.

*Please say "meme" is the right word here.
**I have a feeling that this may differ slightly from what I wrote on the survey.
***10 points to the first person who identifies where I stole the phrase "various witty remarks" from.
***Believe me, I know this from experience. I have had more than one person ask me why I'm talking to myself.

6 comments:

Jay said...

All very good reasons, but you look so cute in the t-shirt, it would be a sin not to.

Anonymous said...

Way to use FootNotz!

Bastage.

:)

Thanks for doing the list, though. I think your reasons are great!

Of course, everyone's reasons are their own, but it's really wonderful to be able to see what motivates people.

Anonymous said...

Since I am too lazy to scroll down, I wonder if you might tell me your goal time for doing the half marathong (13m or 12k?). And why do you run 10k training runs? Is that the prefered unit of measurement.

Oh, and, real runners don't jump over puddles.

run4chocolate.wordpress.com

Beth said...

Since this is going to be my first half marathon, I haven't set a goal time for myself... my goal is just to complete the thing. My roommate runs it in about 2 hr 10 mins, but I'll probably take at least 3 hours.

I'm following a training program and yesterday's run just happened to be a 10 K... the program has shorter runs during the week, with longer runs usually on Sunday (but I did mine on Monday), working it up to longer distances each week (10 K this week, 12 K next week... up to 20 K by the end)... the half marathon is 21.125 K.

And real runners so do jump over puddles. And park benches.

Anonymous said...

All good reasons, Beth. (I just happen to like hearing myself talk.) :-)

And I say - Jump over as many damn puddles in this life as you can! I would even go so far as to say jump IN a few!!

Unknown said...

Woooot! to half marathons!

Less than two weeks away from my first in '07.

Beth - it's a good idea NOT to set a timed goal for your first. It's additional stress when, really, you just want to cross the finish line.

And 3 hours? Doubtful! Walkers make it in 3, you'll be ahead of the walkers.

Are you doing 10 and 1's - like RR suggests? Or are YOU hardcore and going straight through?

You know once you do a 21, you're not THAT far off of a 42...