Every month I write one blog post. The output never seems worth the time. I invariably go through the same charade of declaring I have nothing to write about, that this is the month I skip or stop altogether. Then I force myself to do it.
I keep this up for three reasons as far as I can tell:
- Writing is effortful. I imagine some kind of stretching, twisting, neuron-firing in the brain that amounts to an important form of exercise. There is a gross imbalance these days between consumption and creation of content. The mind becomes bloated and weak without some kind of active outlet.
- I want you to know I am smarter than I look. I am not the most observant or equipped with common sense. I can be nervous and inarticulate. I like to take off my shirt in bars. But give me 900 words and the benefit of a backspace key, and I will show you there is more to me. I might be one of the smartest people you know, right up there with the teacher who introduced you to physics, the old man playing chess against himself in the park, and your dad when you were 5.
- I suppose I enjoy the attention and occasional validation that comes with sharing publicly.
The latter two reasons clearly outweigh the first, because I am unable to muster the will to write if no one reads. Thus I would be honored if you subscribe to this blog. You will be emailed exactly one post for free every month, nothing else, until I die or give up.