Why I Blog: Or Why I Stopped Obsessing and Just Wrote

So I did it again. I’ve let The MN Life sit idle for over two weeks. What can I say? My “inspirado” has been missing recently. And I’ve been spending a lot of time helping my cousin rehab one of his rental properties. Apologies to my 4 loyal readers.

I could join the chorus of people condemning Don Imus’ comments about the Rutgers Womens’ Basketball team. (Especially ironic that it happened on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s integration of MLB) But I’m feeling nostalgic and philosophical. So instead, I’m going to tell you why I blog and what The MN Life means to me.

It all started back in February of 2005. My roommate PW introduced me to The Rocketship. His good friend K-Duck maintained The Rocketship, and PW was an occasional contributor. PW showed me the ins-and-outs of posting. Suddenly, I knew I had to create a blog of my own.

I had kept journals before. In college, I was required to journal for an English Comp class. I still have that notebook. Even though it is filled with nothing but immature ramblings and nonsensical complaints, they are my ramblings and complaints. They stir cherished memories and chronicle drunken nights that otherwise would have been long forgotten.

In March of 2005 I wrote my first post for The MN Life. I was driven by visions of grandeur, an admiration of PW’s posts, and a strong desire to create an outlet for my non-legal musings. I had hoped to create a blog that was not only for my friends, but one that would draw strangers in as well. And right or wrong, I thought that people would be interested in law school anecdotes.

I had a hard time coming up with a witty name that wouldn’t pigeon-hole me. (If I had to do it again I would call The MN Life, The Legal Bogey. A much more apropos name that draws on my two main interests: Law and Golf.) I settled on The MN Life because it was short, simple, and… well it was short and simple. I know it isn’t the best name, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. At this point I’m reluctant to change it.

Like any project, there was a lot of trial and error. With each post I became more comfortable with the Blogspot software. I was in front of my computer for 8+ hours a day during law school which offered me plenty of time to tinker with The MN Life. Blogging was a great distraction during endless hours of professor pontification.

At first I craved any and all attention. I did everything in my power to increase the number of people who read The MN Life. I checked my hit counter incessantly. I’m sure I annoyed many with my endless self-promotion.

When The MN Life turned 1, I knew that I had created something that I could take pride in, regardless of the number of people who read it. Don’t misunderstand; I enjoy getting comments and learning that somebody stopped by The MN Life for the first time. But I have come to realize that ultimately The MN Life is my journal. It forces me to sit down and publish something. It doesn’t even mater what it is, just that I do it. For me, blogging is like law school, the general process is more important than the specific content.

My only regret so far, other than the name, is an ongoing one. The MN Life gives me a forum to praise, rant, and review. I often use it to highlight some of the achievements and moments of my friends’ lives. Unfortunately, anytime you include some, it is hard to not leave others out. There have been many, many post-worthy* moments that I have failed to capture.

Maybe I'll try to become a professional blogger. Then I could spend all day in my underwear debating the relative IQs of John Madden and Brittney Spears. (In light of recent events, it is a silly argument now. In an intellectual knife fight, Brittney is armed with a stick.) I need to find a way to unseat James Lileks. Then I could get pay-d to be the random-blogger-guy in the Twin Cities.

Sometimes, three or four subjects roll around in my head. At others, the creative juices wane, and I need a break. When I re-read my old journals I notice that anytime I tried to write everyday, my entries were tedious, lame, b-o-r-i-n-g crap. It was bad writing. So in order to keep the MN Life fresh and mostly readable, I take an occasional break.

I hope everyone who stops by The MN Life, will swing-by again. I hope I’m still blogging five years from now. I hope to improve my writing. And I will continue to try to make The MN Life worth your while.

That is all.


* Reminds me of Elaine Benes’ famous “sponge-worthy” quote.