Tuesday, February 28, 2023

To Blog or Not To Blog

The day before yesterday was Sunday. I was sitting at my computer when I suddenly swiveled my chair around to face the front windows. It was sunny outside, and I looked outside for a few seconds, then I looked over at Nuria sitting on the sofa. Nuria looked back at me. 

"What?" she asked.

"I think I'm going to quit blogging," I said.

Thereafter followed a discussion about what I just said. Nuria didn't want me to quit blogging. But I explained to her that I have been blogging for so long—for example, I began this blog in 2008. It has almost 2000 posts. And that count is for just this blog. I have five blogs. 

I love to write. I've been writing since I was a schoolboy. I still have some of those early writings somewhere in my house. I started blogging online in 1999 with a blog called the Applebee Chronicles. Writing it was an entertaining diversion. And to get material for that blog, I had to sit at the bar in my local Applebee's for many hours. I really didn't want to sip beer for hours and chat with pretty waitresses, but it was part of my blogging pursuit. So I had to do it.

The word "blog" dates back to 1999. It's a portmanteau of the words "web" and "log" contained in the word "weblog", itself coined in 1997. The word hadn't trickled down to my small city at that time. In fact, I don't think blogs were in the public awareness then; they were too new. I rented space on a webserver, I taught myself basic HTML (all HTML was "basic" at that time) and how to use File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and started writing a blog. Or rather, I started writing what would later be called a blog. It's still online. So are the other four but, at 15 years, this blog is the most lengthy that I've written. I don't even want to know how many hours I've spent writing blog posts. I think they would add up to be a fair part of my life. 

So I showed Nuria my other blogs and we talked and I made no decision about my blogging—to blog or not to blog. Like most of my life decisions, that decision has been postponed to an undetermined future time. Maybe next week, maybe next year, maybe...?  

1 comment:

Puzzle Mama said...

Greetings

Good gosh !!!!!!!

You cannot stop writing or blogging --- it's my only link to the outside world and someone with a good brain who has excellent writing skills.

I learn so much from your blogs -- ranging from subject matter to how to write well.

Please don't underestimate your value and feel like you are empty of things to write about. You have the most uncanny way of finding humor, knowledge and interest in subjects many never would think about.

And I love the diversity of your blogs --

I hope your writing is not getting in the way of your otherwise living and traveling to enjoy new places and old friends. But I imagine with your sleep habits that writing is an excellent way to make the best of it.

Your readers appreciate the time and effort that goes into a blog -- and we especially appreciate the compliments that we too could be bloggers -- but I wouldn't blog -- not to say I don't write -- I do -- !!

I also appreciate your letting us into your life with your struggles and successes. It let's us know "you" the writer ---

Your blogs are much like an excellent TV show --- and I mean that as a huge compliment. I wouldn't miss an episode.

I learn so much from your blogs such as how to be more descriptive (for which you excel), how to hone the writing craft, and it goes without saying much more about politics, world affairs and the state of things.

If you must stop -- I will learn to live with it ---but somewhere I think you will write forever --until you cannot -- that's just who you are !!

Now what's next on the menu?

Best, LL