So, Wait, Why Should I Blog, Too?

South Orange Patch launched blogs last week. I'm grateful to the pioneer bloggers for their patience as I learn what to do. I am also delighted that more bloggers are scheduled to begin sharing in the coming weeks. At the same time, the invitation to blog for Patch remains open; there is plenty of room for more.

And, happily, there are plenty of interested locals. To put myself in your shoes, I'm blogging to answer the main questions that you have asked.

So, why blog anyway?

Answers will vary, but I see blogging as a valuable way to share a journey, whether you're training for a marathon or learning Italian. Stating publicly what you plan to do can be an effective way both to do it and to celebrate it. Just as telling a friend that you plan to run five miles means you might just do it, reporting that you ran five miles earns you a pat on the back. Blogging can serve the same purpose, but you don't have to wake anyone up in the middle of the night to announce that you mastered the infinitive form. 

More broadly, though, the answer to "Why blog?" is the answer to "Why write?" And to paraphrase Toni Morrison, if there is something you want to read, and you can't find it on the shelf (or online), write it yourself.  That is a powerful intention, indeed. 

And that point leads to the second question people ask, which is "What should I blog about?" My answer is, "What do you like to talk about?" There's your blog, whether it's playing cricket on the women's team in Orange, your comic book collection or the trip you have planned this summer that will take you to every spot mentioned in Bruce Springsteen's lyrics. (Yes, I made that up, but I would love to both read such a blog and take that roadtrip.) 

Here's some info on blogging. And feel free to write and get more details: marciaw@patch.com. I hope to hear from you!