So someone commented about a posting yesterday in which I said I didn't think it was wrong to torture terrorists like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The person commenting said my words were disgusting and that I'm no different than terrorists because I'm thinking at their level and that I've lost a reader. In other words, this person isn't going to read my blog anymore because he doesn't like what I am have to say. Too bad, because I would really like him (her?) to read this post.
This got me thinking about why I bother to blog everyday, or almost everyday would be more accurate. I don't get paid for it (it actually costs me $15 a month to host this) and the gratificiation my ego received when it took off was pretty short lived. I'm not particularly concerned about convincing people who read my stuff to take an action on it, and in fact, if you don't like what I write about... well, I really don't care.
I don't write this stuff for you, I do it for me. This blog is my personal archive, and the fact that I have chosen to make it public is really secondary and reflects an attitude that I have about not having a strong desire to convince people that I am right in my beliefs or be secretive about them. One of my criticisms of the "world" that we live in today is that far too many people don't have the fortitude to stand up and say that they believe in something definitive. We're a product of the media age where attitudes and beliefs shift and spin to fit the environment.
Another reason why I blog, and I didn't realize this until I had done it for a while, is that I am exposed to and from some really interesting people. I have made some good friends where the initial introduction was through the blog. For this I am eternally grateful, I truly enjoy meeting creative, passionate, articulate people... they inspire me to try harder.
So the bottom line for me is this, if you don't like what I write about then don't read it. I'm not getting paid or rewarded based on how many people read this blog, nor do I particularly care if anyone does. When I wrote the first post 18 months ago nobody read it, in fact I think I had 20 visitors in the first month and I am absolutely positive they found it by mistake and clicked away as fast as they got there. If you disagree with me, then post a comment and we can talk about it (I'm really committed to keeping the comments open in spite of the deluge of spam I get, even though other bloggers keep telling me I should just close comments altogether to save the headache). Just don't make it personal.
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