I was recently asked about blogging in general. Why do people do it? What do you write about? Do you care if anyone actually reads it? Are bloggers narcissistic?
I figured I would, yep you guessed it, write a blog about why I blog and maybe mix in a few projections about others.
For starters as a published writer I have always enjoyed writing. My background of doing just about everything from running a fork lift to doing stand-up comedy, starting and selling businesses to being the number one air hockey player in the state; those and a host of other things left me with lots to talk about. Anyone that tells you don’t need to like writing to be a blogger either doesn’t know what a blog is or has yet to try and write anything on a consistent basis.
I started writing this blog because for the most part I wanted to write under a blog that did not have a specific structure. The Slow Bleed was a phrase that stuck in my head during an interview. The radio host asked me the future of the country; A “slow bleed” was the beginning of my response. From then, the idea of “where did we go wrong and how can we fix it” was born.
Of course it is not as simple as that. The blog starts to take its own path. Too much of the information in the beginning was depressing. So I started to add other components of my life to the blog. Humor, Drama, and Inspiration. The good part is you never really know what you will find at The Slow Bleed. The down side is that you will never really know what you will find at The Slow Bleed. From what I have been told, that is part of what everyone likes about it.
Once you start blogging you personality becomes split. You have some things you want to write about but can’t on your particular blog. You either satisfy that need by commenting on other blogs or you start another, separate, blog.
I have around four active blogs*. I have several others I am not sure if I have enough to talk about (and should just keep the writings on my computer). Each blog represents a different part of my personality, life, and message.
* CigarSecrets.com, 129Dragon.com, FireYourBoss.com, NoteSellerBlog.com,
Are bloggers narcissistic? Well, not to that degree but…
Some bloggers will tell you they only write for themselves. That they could care less about people reading their work or leaving comments. If that were the case they would only need to open Word on their computer and write away. Not post it on the Internet for all to see.
Blogging is no different than we all feel. We all want to be loved, accepted, and appreciated. Bloggers just like to also write about it.
Fine, I suppose this is where you look for some witty insights to my mind. A "bio" of sorts. Here is the deal... I ride motorcycles, smoke cigars, golf, kayak, fly, race my car through the mountains, write (a lot), and travel extensively. I am almost old enough not to care what other people think about me...almost. ~Godfadr
Interesting piece. I’ll have to check out a couple of your other blogs too!
Why do I blog? I had thought of it for a while, but felt I didn’t have the knowledge, patience, or enough things to write about to keep a blog going. Then in November of last year, the company I worked for decided to hold a blogging contest for the employees and offered a $1,000. prize.
Well, money being tight and all, and the only requirement was that your blog be work related, not obscene or insulting, light-hearted, personal or something you were passionate about…in other words, real but polite. That was all the incentive I needed………..OK, the prize was the real incentive and the “something you were passionate about” came in second….so I fell for the carrot trick and jumped on board the blogging train…..LOL
Needless to say my passions these days are about the loss of liberty happening at a very fast pace in this country. The push towards a socialistic society. The trampling of our Constitution. The fear mongering that is taking place and constant scare tactics employed.
I like writing to a degree but cannot say it is something I absolutely need to do. I do much better thinking things through than I do journaling. I know people who NEED to write to feel satisfied with their life, or to help them sort their thoughts out. I keep being told I should journal, but that just doesn’t work for me.
I’m not the most creative person – though I have an imagination that scares me sometimes LOL – and I don’t have lots of time, or much patience I’m afraid, for real research.
The stuff I blog about is from articles I find online in various forums I’m on relating to issues that are important to me, or from the news I catch on TV. I use the articles and throw in my own two cents from my point of view. I do find other sources for the piece and cite them also.
I’ve found some really good ones, things I agreed with, but because I couldn’t find any “credible” sources I don’t use them. I won’t use someone else’s wild ramblings without some sort of back up information.
While I don’t really care if it gets read or not; or if anyone comments; at the same time I do care and am glad it gets read and I get occasional comments. We all like validation sometimes.
My main goal is to try to point out where I see things going. Trying to wake people up to what is happening and why it goes against the foundation of this country. IF I reach one person, make one person stop and think – even if they don’t agree with me, then I feel I’ve done some good.
I didn’t win the prize, someone else blogging about their dog was the winner (guess I was a little to real for them hehehe), but that is what got me started.
I started blogging on another site back in november of ’06 when I was going through a rather rough patch in my life. I started out analyzing my past, taking my previously fogged over and egocentric lenses off, and looking at it more objectively to see how I had gotten to where I was at that point. It helped to some degree.
Now, I blog mostly just to blog, maybe throw some ideas out there for other people to read, and if they want comment or further my thinking with a question or two. The blog gives me an outlet to share my thoughts with other adults, as the majority of my day is spent with a 4 year old, who couldn’t handle, or even understand what it is I might be blabbering on about. Lord knows I don’t want to raise a cynic! And my nights are spent alone in a patrol car, doing my job and minding my own business as best as possible. So blogging really is the place for me to share some thoughts, exchange some ideas….and occasionally argue with Helen!