NO ONE EXPECTS YOU TO READ THESE POSTS

“DISCLAIMER #4: No one expects you to read these posts. I’m sure that I never will. In fact most people don’t. More than six billion people do not read these posts. Of course, if you don’t read these posts (every word – more than once) you are probably a bad, selfish, and naughty person. I’m sure I am. But no one expects you to read these posts” [from the December 31, 2008 post]

When I began thinking about writing a blog in December of 2008, I made it a goal to write 12 posts (one for each month) on or before the 1st of each month. I even allotted ten-minute time slots on Saturdays and Sundays, so that I’d have a whole eighty minutes each month in which to write each post. While I did manage to post twelve entries, most of them were borrowed from things I’d already written. I’d originally intended the blog to contain all new material, but I became busy and distracted and (as has happened once again) I would find myself at the end of the month without having written anything and all but completely apathetic about it. It turns out that it probably didn’t matter because nobody reads any of this anyway. That’s not entirely true. It turns out that I like reading these posts and I have a couple of friends who have read some of them. But on the whole, no one reads them. This should not come as a surprise. There are more than 100 million blogs out there; one can’t read them all. But if I tend to put off writing it and nobody reads it, why am I doing it? Last January, I wrote:

“my thought is to make it a goal to write at least 12 entries (aiming at one a month) – if I find that this experiment serves some useful purpose, e.g., improves my writing, generates interesting discussion, leads to useful feedback, or produces some other completely unforeseen, positive outcome; then I’ll continue on next year with a more rigorous plan – if not, then I will be able to say that I once wrote a blog and surely that must count for something”

To be honest, I assumed that if no one read it I would quit. But it turns out that I don’t want to. In fact, I’ve even begun two more blogs (one devoted to the Tao Te Ching and the other devoted to Lint). It turns out that I like seeing what I’ve written when it appears on the screen in the context of the blog. As someone who writes, I find that one of the best things in the world is to have people read and respond to what I’ve written. Next best is to see what I’ve written in print (on paper in a publication) where people could read it if they wanted to. The blog, somehow, feels almost like that (even though I know nobody reads it). It turns out that I like to read it. I also like to Google it and see the items pop up on the screen. Somehow, seeing my words on the screen in the context of the blog makes them seem more substantial. I suspect that this is why there are over 100 million blogs out there and I suspect that the fact that no one reads them is why there are so many blogs that are eventually abandoned. For the present, I’ve decided not to abandon the blog. It’s fun and fun is its own reward. But I do want to try to find a way to get myself to actually write new posts (as opposed to recycling stuff I’ve written before).

Sometime in 2004 (or 2005 – I can’t remember), during a period when I was not writing, I received an email from my friend in Spain. He asked how I was doing. I responded that I was great. He asked what was so great about being alive in my shoes and I rattled off a smart-ass top ten list in response. This silly list inspired me to write a bunch of emails elaborating on the list (for the past five or six years I’ve been writing a daily group email to friends). Every time after that when there had been a writing lapse (and there were many, many writing lapses), when I would start up again, I would begin with the top ten list. I used it for years. I used it all the way into January 2008 and then I ceased to have writing lapses and I don’t use it anymore. I love the top ten list because it reminds me of how good my life is and this seems like a good place to retire it. It’s changed over time from the original smart ass bit to a more legitimate list of what is really great about my life. The following is the present list:

TOP TEN BEST PARTS OF BEING ALIVE IN MY. . . . SHOES:
#10 WORK: WAL-MART TIRE & LUBE EXPRESS AND TEACHING
#9 OUR CHURCH
#8 INTERNET (FOR EMAIL, SHOPPING, AND WHATHAVEYOU)
#7 THE SHED
#6 LEGAL DRUGS (CAFFEINE, NICOTINE, PHARMACEUTICALS, ETC…)
#5 THE INTANGIBLE ECSTASY OF MAXNESS
#4 BOOKS
#3 FAMILY, FRIENDS, EASE, COMFORT, ETC…….
#2 MARIA, AURORA, AND VIVIAN
#1 GOD (THROUGH WHOM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE)

There were a number of times last year when I intended to use the TOP TEN LIST for blog posts, but I never got around to it. This year, what I intend to do is just write my way there. In other words, in February, after I’ve completed the Tao blog posts, I’ll start writing about work every day until I finish it. That’s the only way I know of to get myself to write new material.