Hi there,
I am a recent blogger. Very recent. I just created this blog page yesterday. I’m not on facebook or twitter, and I don’t have a smartphone. I am not a techie. I’ve written on the side and I’ve resisted for a long time starting a blog because I just didn’t understand who would have the time to read that kind of stuff. Then I realized that I was reading that kind of stuff, and that stuff was good. I slowly realized that I may have something to offer. At the very least my words will go out into the ether and contribute, by osmosis, to some composite knowledge of human beings, even if it’s not directly exposed to anyone. At least that’s what I read some time ago about what happens to knowledge. It just gets dispersed and people become smarter. That is one of my wishes for this page- that people would become smarter. Just like our body needs exercise, so does our brain, and challenging it by reading and engaging is one of my goals with this site. What about other goals? Well, I’m not sure yet. I just know that I have a desire to write and after many years of struggling with it, even quashing it, I decided to give up and give in.
The purpose of this blog post is to introduce you to me. There is no better introduction than by actually writing about topics I’m interested in. Who cares if I live in a house and have 2 kids and a dog? (I actually don’t.) Do I really know more or less because of a certain trait, or a composite of details? You will find out about me through the evolution of this blog, but I think it’s not wise to initially say I’m so and so because you can get burned by trusting someone based on initial admiration or attraction to similarities with your own life. So you will learn about me as life goes on. I wouldn’t want to prejudice myself.
A few questions, as I am an ideas person. Why do I want to post a blog online, given that there are already more blogs than anyone has time to read? What could I possibly add to the volumes of stuff that is already out there? Why would you spend your time reading me than a classic work of literature or someone on the New York Time bestseller list? Or, why not read the paper, or discover other sites with interesting names, like Boing Boing? Because, I’ve come to realize, life happens, and not everyone captures it the same. I also think there is a need for a voice in the world we are living in now. Not from someone way up there, meeting for lunch at business expense, but from someone down here, sharing a one bedroom apartment, and writing from their heart… and mind.
So what can I offer here? The short and simple answer is that I can offer my perspective, which can’t be totally like any other because there is just one me and the compilation of my experiences is unique. The more in depth answer is- I don’t know. I don’t know what I can offer because even if I knew, each person is affected differently, so my intentions can come true or miss the mark entirely. I feel like I do have something to offer, but you will have to pick and choose what you want.
I can tell you right now that I am not always on the “right” side of things, but I’m not playing devil’s advocate either. My beliefs are sincere. I don’t believe in wasting people’s time with b.s. But my views challenge society’s norms and in other avenues of my life, I’ve felt rejected for it. I felt like I landed from Mars. It was a lonely experience. That is why I called this blog “Notes from the Underground.” Dostoyevsky’s angst lives on. At the very least these ideas could possibly challenge your own beliefs. Why do that? Well, you can live day to day, or you can try to take a wider view of things.
I am going to challenge my own internal drive by saying it is not my intention to make this blog perfect. One of the fears I’ve had over the years is that writing had to be perfect. How I struggled with those college papers- not so much about the material, that was easy, but about the writing of it. Now I say, baloney to perfection. (Ouch.) Writing has to be real and interesting and relevant.
The short answer for why I’m starting this blog is that over the years I’ve had an overarching desire to write, but for one reason or another, I’ve made excuses. Well, for the first time in my life, I am not making excuses about writing. For what it’s worth, I’ve arrived at the train station of some personal moment of my life. Where it’s going, I’m not sure, but I’m willing to give it a go.
So here’s a toast to my first post. Notes from the Underground, the blog. Enjoy.
