Why Bother?

It seems like eons since I last wrote, at least in this venue. I continue to write (for fun) occasionally, in my diary, for Toastmasters speeches,... So why bother with this? A "why blog?" Google search generated many interesting hits, like this quote and other compilations of reasons.

"When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it." - A.A. Milne

My own top 5 reasons? Blogging allows me to...

1. Practice "getting it together". Given the remote possibility that others may actually be reading this, I strive to express myself more succinctly and clearly. It helps bring together scattered thoughts and make them a little less muddled, a little more concise.
2. Learn new things. Before publishing each blog post, I've usually looked up a dozen bits of information and links that opened my eyes to new perspectives and ideas. Each entry is like a mini-research project. Says the nerd in a high-pitched voice, "Love it!"
3. Muse, ruminate, and reflect on random things that come to mind. It gives my guy a break from having to listen, as he always so patiently does; and I think I have some original and amusing thoughts every once in awhile.
4. Reach out and touch someone. Anyone out there? We're social beings. And on top of that, I'm an extrovert. I want and need to connect with people. This is just another way of doing that.
5. Write creatively, my favorite solo activity and the way I express myself best.

So,... I'm back!