Why blog?

I've been asked by people over the years why I maintain a blog, LiveJournal, or whatever the current method of chronicling thoughts on the internet is. I've also been asked what my "theme" is. I have a few free moments, so I'll address those points.

First of all, my theme. As anyone who has read my various iterations of journaling/blogging over the past 6 years knows, I have no overlying theme. I don't keep a photo journal, I don't keep to one topic such as book reviews or sporting events or breast cancer or political opinions (although during Election 2008, I did have a recurring series of blogposts about things said or done by Democrats that I found particularly laughable)...when the spirit moves me, I type something up. The quote at the top of my page reflects my style:

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. ~~Francis Bacon

That's my theme in a nutshell.

And that also dovetails into why I maintain a blog. Not only is it a way for me to gather my thoughts in a more organized fashion, but it gives me a way to share those thoughts with others who know me, especially friends and/or family who are out-of-town. We don't have to arrange a phone call or make sure everyone is copied on an informational email, but instead you can just drop by for a visit and catch up on what's been going on in the mind of Dawn. Granted please don't think there was nothing going on in my head for the 4 months after the wedding; that's called getting settled into a new job, new apartment, new city, and enjoying newlywed bliss with the new hubby. Picture a big 'ole smile and you'd be right!

My blog posts pretty much sound like a typical conversation with me. I'm not politically correct, I often ramble in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, and you might wonder, "Where did that thought come from?" But most of y'all probably are used to that. For example, I was thinking in the shower the other morning about the Flintstones and how the family, gender, and social dynamics portrayed reflected what I concerned "the norm" when I was growing up...and this considering the cartoon originally aired in the early 1960s and I was watching it through reruns in the early to mid '70s. Wacky, I know, but you never know what's going to go through my mind...or what is going to set my fingers into "type it out" mode.

My blog is entitled "This, That, and The Other" and that's the perfect description for the "anything goes" selection of topics you'll find here. That's me...that's my blog. Time to leave the office...I'm ready for a beer.