No I do not want to read your blog.

I read the above statement on a t-shirt once. I suppose an apposite response from me would be to blog about not wanting to be talked at by clothing; it never poses more than a single, intractable argument. Where's the fun in that?

With this blog entry I seek to turn what has been a much neglected repository of occasional inside jokes into a place to actually do some writing on any number of subjects. I have recently grown to take notice of the power of the written word used in daily life. For me it has been a way to organize a mind cluttered with ideas competing for attention. It's been instrumental in creating new friendships and laying thoughtful foundations for them. It has also been therapeutic to write stuff down which needs to be said, thoughts and ideas that just don't find a natural home in casual conversation.

Sometimes it feels like making a speech; all the writer can do is hope the audience enjoys listening to it. Other times, if there is a response, it can feel like a tremendous conversation, where massive fleets of thoughts and emotions embark like ships to a distant shore, and we eagerly await the visiting ships from that other land.

Another form of written communication I've grown to really love is the online chat/text message, particularly from a mobile device. It almost feels like the modern day equivalent of telepathy; transmitting a thought anytime, anywhere, to someone you know. I especially appreciate being able to share with someone at a moment's notice something evanescent which may not last through the rigors of the day.

To sum up, I enjoy writing, and since I'm too much of an extrovert to have much material to put into a private diary, I will blog instead.

Take THAT, you truculent t-shirt!