Just gettin' my toes wet

I've really enjoyed the writing process of this blog thus far.  I like the colors I've set up (I think I erred at least very slightly on the side of not making it too busy...I think.)  It's interesting to me how much of a different feel blog writing has for me as compared to e-mail or even writing real letters.  As a small example -- I originally put two periods after "busy" up there.  Then I went back and added a third because everyone knows that an ellipsis needs three and only three.  Whereas the definition (at least for me) of how many periods there can be is much, much broader when e-mailing, instant messaging, and, to some extent, writing letters.  Oh and two more examples to prove my point...  In every instance of the word "period" prior to this sentence, I originally had typed "dot" and then realized that, really, period was more accurate.  And when I started the sentence with "Whereas," I immediately thought, "That's probably not the ideal use of that word" but I made myself leave it.  :)

But probably this is a good thing, this being more aware of what I am writing.  I'm enough of a Luddite that I think to myself,(insert crotchety voice)  "This is what's wrong with society today!  Like that school in New Zealand (?) where they let those youngsters use text-ese on their essay tests!  What is this world coming to!?"  So perhaps blogging is one way for me to keep my writing at least somewhat more refined. (Note: This is not a promise from your dear blogger to always have work of the greatest quality posted here.  Please do not return tomorrow morning looking for such.)


(Third paragraph warning for Snozz) And then there is the issue of who will be reading this.  I don't really enjoy self-censoring (a shock, I know, to those of you who know me) and I don't want to self-censor in my own blog.  (At new acquaintances' dinner tables, maybe, but not here!)  There are two aspects about this -- the whole internet safety shebang and the actual content of what I'm writing.  With the former, I basically think that if someone really wants to stalk me, steal my identity, or send me anonymous care packages in the mail, they'll do it even if I never touch a computer keyboard again.  With the latter, I think my approach should be that if somebody doesn't like what I'm saying, they don't need to frequent my blog....  (A greater concern for me isn't them not liking what I'm saying, but them not liking what they *think* I am saying.)   These laid-back approaches are somewhat easier said then done, but in general I'm not a anxious person and the idea of letting fear impact how I live my life doesn't sit well with me.  I think is mostly just beginner's nerves and soon you will all be saying :  "Seriously?  She thinks a 49 line paragraph is a good thing?"  "Why in the world does she think any of us are interested in this ridiculous topic she chose to write about today?"  "I can't believe she's saying that about sea otters/air pollution/Karl Marx/high fructose corn syrup.  That's it, we are no longer friends!"  "Oooh, I think I've finally figured out exactly where she lives and what she looks like.  Time to start filling this priority mail cardboard box with yummy lotions, minty chapstick, fun stationery, awesome socks, and a few issues of Games Magazine."