The public nature of blogs ..

Doesn't let you write everything you really want to. I've been told by some bloggers that they don't like blogs that double up as online journals, and I've resisted the temptation to ask them to stay away from mine, coz that's mostly what this is - a dump for the collective (ok mostly momentary!!) wisdom and experiences of the day. I come here coz sometimes these conversations with the reader feel more interesting than real life conversations (Lucky, keep in mind what i told you today... its happened before, and i hope it happens again :P). No I'm not turning into a sociopath who turns to her blog for solace. There's wonderful friends around who i get weekday/ weekend time with and conversations with them somehow add to rather than replace the thoughts on this blog. But there's still something totally wonderful about being able to write here.

Shiv once posted a question on why people blog. What's the inner motivation to put up personal opinions and notes down on a public forum where your life is vulnerable and exposed to the scrutiny of friends and strangers alike? I thought about it and never managed to find a really 'perfect' answer, but here's a sort of longish reason why I blog.

Overall - loving to talk and have conversations automatically makes an outlet like this a precious commodity to me. Specifics as follows ...

Not having all of my incredible conversationlist friends here all the time basically makes me turn to a medium like this. This is how i communicate with them. You'll notice that most stories are just my own. Rather tedious for an outsider, but of some interest to friends who usually have context on my life and can understand, and hence reply and hence contribute to the illusion of a conversation. That's incredible for me, conversation and exchanges of ideas being my lifeblood and all that.

Some of them (Kinks for e.g. who hasn't visited the blog in donkey's years) just find me in person or over phone / chat (Like Sohit, Kunal etc), so don't come here at all. Which is fine, coz atleast they catch me in person and keep in touch another way. :-)

Then there's the wonderful people i've met through the blog world. The Madmomma for e.g. - even before i realized she was a friend of a friend, we'd started to chat and all that, which was followed by a visit to her place and meeting with the OA and the babies :D Or SS, for e.g. who once had so much to say to a certain post, that she emailed me personally with her take on the issue. It doesn't do much for everyone, but that kinda thing, a complete stranger reaching out from another corner of the world just makes me deliriously happy. There's something wonderful about knowing people who think like you, maybe not always, but share your passion for writing and have the enthu to keep in touch, the lack of history notwithstanding. :)

The blog also makes it easy for me to filter out those who don't enjoy this kinda exchange and don't care for personal interaction either. They're essentially saying "im not that interested in keeping in touch with your life, online or otherwise". And imagine how easy it makes my 80:20 principle on friends!!!

To all those who visit and don't visit ... you make a difference in your own little way. So thanks!!! :D