Why do YOU keep a Blog?

Why do I keep a blog?

It's a trend and I'm oh so trendy.

I've been keeping my blog for more than 2 years now. It's a lazy way to keep friends and family informed of what I've been up to.

I enjoy putting thoughts, recipes or events out for comment.

Blogging helps me remember. Age doesn't.

I need to write. It helps me relax. Often I just start a post not really knowing what I want to say and then it takes a life of its own.

I've been to school and they taught me writing. I don't use spellcheck. When in doubt, I use a dictionary.

I've always wanted to do an intellectual/political blog - but too often the stomach takes precedence.

A few friends started their blogs after mine. I've made friends through my blog. We often worry that bloggers in real are not like their blogs at all, but it's not easy maintaining a public persona that's very different from your private one over a sustained period of time, so we should be what we write. Or eat, for that matter.

Eat I mention, for most of the blogs I frequent are food-related blogs. And many are owned by fellow Singaporeans or Malaysians. We blog about food, our lives and sometimes also our thoughts.

Needless to say, I do fear exposing myself too much in public. Many were shocked that I publish pictures of my children, my house...There are after all lots of loony people out there.

But the need to share is probably greater than the fear, which in any case shouldn't be allowed to dictate our lives. And as long as one takes responsibility for one's musings and doesn't care about the judgement of those who do not matter...

I love learning from the other blogs. Watching the new ones take flight...

I remember the first day I met Pris in Stuttgart. As we were exchanging phone numbers and email, I asked her, "Do you have a blog?" So she did and even though we're no longer living in the same city today, we still catch up with one another through our respective blogs. She's having fun and her cooking has taken flight.

Su found me through my blog and she has her own too. So I could follow her whether she's in Stuttgart, Singapore or Bangalore.

Over here in Italy, fellow Singaporeans like E in Turin and A in Padova have their own blogs. I'm very bad with phoning people, do not have the time, preferring to communicate through writing. When friends have blogs that's how I keep up with what they're up to between calls or visits. I do not know if it's the same for you, but very often when I see a friend with a blog whom I've not seen for a long time, I do not usually feel the distance. Guess I've been following his or her life from my own home.

A few of Hub's friends have taken to following my blog so as to keep track of what we're up to as a family. Mothers in Stuttgart followed my blog and were happy to find themselves occasionally mentioned or featured. Lotus doesn't blog about everything and anybody, being mentioned is often a sign of being in her thoughts. Often in a good way, of course.

Over here in Modena, I have it that I am a subject of discussion among those who know of my blogging activity. Some fear having me around in case I should blog about some person or event (*grin*). Like I'm Pandora's Box.

This honestly doesn't bother me, on the contrary, it rather amused me.

Yet people couldn't possibly treasure privacy more than myself - after all I do have a Hub in an important position in these parts. A friend here suggested that the fear could be cultural. Or because these people are unfamiliar with blogging. Or they may simply be insecure. Or they are control freaks. Or simply because they just love to bitch. Or some imagine that should I ever mention them, it'd be in a negative light - therefore they whinge about it beforehand.

Some are angry that I mention other people in my blog. Though how not to mention others since live alone I do not, I'm still trying to figure out.

Having said that, people are entitled to their own opinions and a prioris.

OK, I digress. So I blog because bloggers form a community of some sort. There is inspiration, support, information, ideas, beauty e.g. lovely photography. There is voyeurism, voyages, videos, memes, lucky draws and even cookies exchange.

And why do you blog? (This is like a meme in free form - in case you should wonder.)