Thinking Out Loud

A few weeks ago I was in the car, three blocks from home, listening to my least favorite radio show on OPB. As far as I can tell, the title of said program captures all of my complaints in the three short words: Think Out Loud. People often call in and introduce their insightful comments with lines such as, “Well, I don’t have an experience in this area, but I think…” If I ever start a radio show, I plan to call it Think Before You Call. It’s unlikely I’ll get as many callers, but perhaps an hour of silence would be better than listening to yokels telling me what they think of the world.

In this case, I was only three blocks from home, so rather than turn the radio off in an angry huff, I figured I would tough it out until I made it home (how gracious am I?!). The topic of the day’s show was blogging and the guest was a local teenage blogger. Upon being asked why she blogs, she answered,

“I think of blogging as writing to the future you.”

Let me put the personal importance of this comment in perspective.

Almost as soon as I had a baby, I was asked if I planned to start a blog. Ha! I thought. Who on earth is self-centered enough to believe someone wants to read what they have to say about daily life? Don’t get me wrong—I know many people who blog and I even occasionally read what they have to say! However, the blogs I read tend to be riotously funny (think sleeptalkingman.blogspot.com) or they tend to be relating the trials of some process or event: the adoption process, or adventures living abroad. Julie and Julia was about an average gal, but I can’t imagine having the discipline to take on a project as fabulously difficult as cooking every day. And I can’t believe that sitting at home with a new baby is even in the realm of fascinating adventures. I quickly blew off the idea.

But as time passed, it came creeping back into my head. I admit, I can’t help but think of the fame that can come from documenting one’s thoughts and experiences. I mean, look at Anne Frank. OK, well, don’t look at Anne Frank… Instead, look at the Lifetime Television Network. Here is an entire network ready to broadcast the story of someone willing to speak up. But, I guess I’m not looking for movie-of-the-week fame, either… So, without a great life trauma on which to base a blog, I bailed again.

You can imagine my happiness when I realized that I could write a blog without expecting others to read along. I don’t have to do it to be famous. Or because I’m experiencing a trauma. Or even to be so fabulously witty or profound that people will feel compelled to follow along. I can write just to write—for the challenge, the practice, and the desire to document some small pieces of my life.

Consider it me, thinking out loud.