Why I Shouldn't Blog

Why do I have a blog? That is a good question and I don't really have an answer. Can I honestly even say that I have a blog? I started this venture 20 years ago and have around 50 posts. 25 of those were a series I did on the 25 Best Christmas Songs and five posts were written by a guest writer. So if you take those away, you're left with fewer than 2 posts a year. 

This year I have determined that I am going to write and publish more often. But that begs the question, "Why?" If someone were to ask me in person, I don't think that I could truly articulate my motivation. The fact is, I can think of more reasons why this project is not such a great idea. Let me share them.

1. I Have No Niche

Conventional wisdom says content creators need to specialize. Find the one topic that you love or are an expert in and focus on that. Then find other people that geek out about the same thing and create a network. 

I get that, but here's the problem. What I'm passionate about changes from day to day (or even minute to minute for that matter.) I have made attempts to specialize in the past. I started a movie blog. I even bought a web domain for a blog about my spiritual crisis. But I get bogged down and even a little bored just talking about the same thing, and if I'm bored what about the readers? (As if there are any.)

So, I have decided to embrace the eclectic. Welcome to my humorous, navel gazing, political, pop culture, religious commentary on the world at large. If you don't like a post don't worry, the next one will be completely different.

2. I'm Not That Interesting

On more than one occasion I have been approached by total strangers asking me if I used to live in some other location. They would tell me that I look exactly like someone they knew in Buffalo or Flagstaff. I am the definition of an everyman. Average height, typical American girth, hair parted on the side, basic jeans and polo shirt.  If you Googled "Basic White Guy" you just might see a picture of me. 

This blandness is not limited to just my appearance. I am not what you would call the "life of the party." If I am not around people that I am at ease with I tend to be quiet. Maybe it's because I have been told that when I do start talking I have a hard time hitting the stop button. (There is a legend of me waxing eloquent about being stranded in an airport for two days, not noticing my audience had dwindled to just my poor trapped host.)

So if you're beige, socially insecure, and wordy, what better outlet is there than a blog? I guess I'll find out.

3. Blogging Makes Me Anxious

  You know that feeling you get when you're about to take a big test in school? Or when you're about to go ask your boss for a raise? Or your favorite football team is lined up to kick a game winning field goal with 2 seconds left in the Super Bowl? It's that weird combination of dread mixed with anticipation with a touch of nausea. Well, I sort of feel that all the time.

Most of the time I can control it but some things bring it to the surface. Sitting down to write a blog post is one of those things. Sometimes even just thinking about writing a post can trigger me. Why, you may ask. Let me tell you.

As noted earlier, my track record at doing this has not been stellar. When I start writing my brain likes to remind me of that. "Why bother," it says. "You know that failure is inevitable." 

Also, what if I suck? It is entirely possible and maybe even probable that I am not a very good writer. Psychologists could start recommending my blog to their patients with insomnia. 

I do have a way of assuaging that fear. It's the thought that it doesn't matter if I suck because nobody is going to read what I write anyway. But then that freaks me out.

I guess that if I am going to be anxious anyway, why not try to do something creative with it.

Have I convinced you that I should give this whole blogging thing a pass? If I have, that's too bad because I am going to give it a go. Will I become rich and famous from doing this? Doubtful. But I'd like to think I have some thoughts worth sharing. Even if nobody else does. Maybe the process itself will teach me something. What do I have to lose? Only my dignity.

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