I saw an interesting segment on the local news about twittering the other night. The gist of the anchor's point was that twittering and blogging is self-absorbed. As a journalism major and a to-be English teacher I was a little dumbfounded by his accusation. What he doesn't note is that these forums are simply today's version of yesterday's letters to friends, journals, autobiographies, and memoirs. People documenting their lives is not a new phenomenon--it's just increasingly more accessible. And more people seem to be taking advantage of it. What a nightmare--geez--people all over the world thinking, writing, and sharing their thoughts.
I'll be the first to admit that I think a little bit of this when blog:
Oh Doogie . . .
To those who believe blogging, twittering, etc. is self-absorption I have one question to your common question, "Why do you do it?" Well, if you don't know why we bloggers blog or twitterers tweet, then why do you read them? If you don't understand that at the end of the day we do this for reflection, to measure personal growth, sometimes to rant, sometimes to rave, but most of all because we can then I guess I cannot adequately answer your question. Within that question your assumption seems to be that blogging must have value beyond importance to the writer. It is a form of self-absorption but not with the negative connotation that your questioning and report imply.
If more people would spend time recording their thoughts and thinking about what happens to them on a daily basis maybe they would begin to view their lives as something valuable to record (if even just for themselves). I (as an English teacher) honestly believe the world would be a better place.
I can look back at my blog and remember the progress that I've made in the last two years. That's the point of our blog (this is really J.'s blog too).
So before I get too distracted . . .
Yesterday's run was AWESOME! I don't know what I did right--maybe the 30 minute swim before the run helped, maybe the endurolytes helped, maybe it was just an unexplainably great day. The bounce is finally back in my step and I feel like I've crossed into that sub-10-minute-per-mile pace on a (scared to say it) "permanent" basis. Consistently over the past few weeks I've been able to make it under that time.
Yesterday I finished 5 miles in 48:08 in the heat at 10 am on the parkway for an average pace of 9:38. I've been trying to vary my speed during the run because I am a sucker for falling into an even pace and not pushing beyond it. So here's the breakdown:
Mile 1, 9:21
Mile 2, 8:47
Mile 3, 10:07
Mile 4, 10:14
Mile 5, 9:40
My strategy was to go out fast, get a little faster, recover for 2 miles and then finish fast. I'll take small progress here and there. And I'll look back to posts like this to see how far I really have come.
To the news anchors or others who don't get blogging, I encourage you to find something about your life that you feel is worth documenting--for yourself, not others. If others enjoy reading about it that's just a plus.
As Doogie discovered back in the early 90's, computers simply make the age-old tradition of journaling more accessible.
Write on!
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