Why Blog?

Blogging is an opportunity for me to communicate with others, but who cares what I have to say? Why should anyone read my blog posts? There are much better opinion leaders and expositors of opinion in the mass media, on the Web, and in the so-called "blogosphere" than the poor scribe who posts to this blog. And, when one considers the amount of time and effort required to research and develop a compelling opinion, am I really up to the task? There are no good answers to my questions. So, why bother posting?

Does it matter whether anyone cares about what I offer? I think not. When a post is put out there in cyberspace, it is pretty much on its own to be found by accident or on purpose. There is no guarantee that another person will read it, so it's pretty much just tossed out there in the wind. Can it therefore be that important? I would hope that members of my family would care about what I have to say, but the truth is that they are probably the people least likely to care and to read my blog. They know me and have heard it all before without any signs of being impressed. I guess, if I persist, I might pick up a reader or two or more. But, the fact remains that there are better sources and more illustrious writers.

Does it matter that there may be no compelling reasons for anyone to read my blog? There will be little in the way of facts that can not be found from more expansive and reliable sources. The humor I sometimes muster is pretty bland compared to writer's who excel in this genre. My logic is not always unassailable nor are my opinions the most popular. If I have a reader, it is because a person with too much spare time has found my blog.

Does it matter whether I am up to the task to do a blog? I do not feel that my ability to research an issue or form a cogent opinion has diminished in my retirement, but I have competing interests that prevent me from devoting the time and effort that a significant blog requires. I like to play golf. Notice,I didn't say I was good at golf. I'm not. I dabble at watercolor painting. I read, alternating between fiction and non-fiction. Frankly, I am not that devoted to my blog.

Then, does it matter whether I bother to blog? No, it doesn't. I do, however, like to blog. It gives me the opportunity to vent my frustrations, to relate my experience, and to communicate my thoughts. Being retired is in some ways an isolating experience. You are not associating with others as regularly as you did in the workplace. You have no natural platform to be an opinion leader as you would in a former position of leadership. You are less relevant to those who are still working and rightfully so because you are no longer as well connected with current events. Blogging is a way to overcome the isolation of retirement, even if it is just throwing comments out in cyberspace. So, I continue.