The only place to start is at the beginning

Some people think the only reason to blog is because you have this weird desire to share your life with strangers. Others think it's just a cry for attention. Those aren't my reasons, but if that's what other people think, so be it. I can't change their opinions, so there's no point in fretting about them.

I started this blog because I like to journal and typing is faster than writing. I'm headed into my senior year of college and have no real clue where I'm supposed to be headed or what I should do with this life I have been given, and the time I have to make some important decisions is decreasing rapidly. That is a frightening prospect on even the simplest levels. There is pressure from all directions to make the right decision, be successful (whatever that means), and make the most of my education. For the first time, the next step isn't obvious. There are so many options, so many possibilities. That can be exhilarating or terrifying, but most days I find it's both.

I have always found that I can more easily analyze my thoughts and learn about myself through writing, even though I'm awful at it. (See, I just finished a sentence with a preposition. Go me.) So, through this blog I will be able to blurt out my thoughts, frustrations, and random ramblings dealing with whatever is on my mind, and hopefully that will help me figure out some stuff. What stuff? That's a good question...I guess we'll find out.

But what about journaling? Isn't writing with a real pen on real paper more romantic, more personal, more valued? Don't we lose something when everything is filtered through the electronic world, clamping words into pixels and thoughts within an HTML page? Yes, that may be true, so I still plan on writing in my journal as often as I am compelled to. My journal is the most personal expression of myself, where I scribble out dreams, hopes, fears, prayers, and questions. Some of that is appropriate for a blog, some of it isn't. But it all needs to be written down somehow.

When you get down to it, the reality is that despite my private liberal arts education, despite my life experiences, and despite the fact that people keep telling me I'm "smart", I don't know a damn thing. But I need to figure it out.

Socrates once said "The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know".

Ain't that the truth.