Why bother?

The Anchoress noted that her blogfriend Baldilocks (whose blog I also enjoy), is asking "why bother" and perceives this as a disturbing trend. The Anchoress phrases her response about precisely why one should bother blogging in religious terms, and it's an excellent answer. To her, as a matter of faith, you keep going at it, because it's the right thing to do. I have to admit that my motives are much more selfish. This is what I left in a comment on the Anchoress's blog:

“Why bother?” is an excellent question, and the answer to that question depends on why you’re blogging. If you’re blogging to change peoples' minds, and you’re never going beyond the same 20 or 30 friends who agree with you anyway, you might indeed think that you’re not making a difference. Indeed, even if you’re blogging for 400-500 friends who agree with you anyway, you may feel that there is a limit to preaching to the choir. However, if you’re like me, and just bursting with things to say, blogging is a wonderful outlet. I no longer have to struggle to hold my thoughts in (as I do in my liberal enclave) and, if I do lose that struggle and start to talk, I don’t have to scan faces anxiously, concerned that I’m boring or confusing my audience. Attendance at my blog, unlike attendance at a conversation, is strictly voluntary. It’s tremendously gratifying to have people come back repeatedly, and especially to have them converse with me through comments, but it’s still okay if they don’t. All the wonderful, insightful, spiteful, silly, stupid, thoughtful, intelligent, shallow thoughts whirling around in me get to go somewhere. And that’s why I bother.