The First Post

What is a blog? I'm not the first person to pose this question. Probably not the first to pose this question on their first blog entry of their new blog. But putting my worries about seeming cliche aside, I'd still like to see what other people come up with out there in the "blogosphere"

Wikipedia says:
"A blog is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order."

Blogger says:
"A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world."

Merriam-Webster says:
"a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer"

Back to this in a bit.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about how I feel the need to distance myself from certain communities with which I had previously associated. There too many expectations; I am not talking about shirking responsibilities here. Let's say you join a particular community, there are then descriptors that are used to characterize the people who join that community. However, what happens if those people change? Do they lose that community? Do they create a new one? I feel that a lot of the communities I have been in expect people to remain stagnant; to tow the party line, to buy into a creed or doctrine and not stretch and grow.

What these expectations essentially boil down to are labels. Liberal. Republican. Libertarian. Anarchist. Lesbian. Straight. Bisexual. Gay. Pansexual. Asexual. Queer. Christian. Unitarian. Buddhist. Atheist. President. CEO. Administrative Assistant. Female. Male. Trans.

During the conversation, my friend told me that he uses labels to effectively and briefly communicate himself and/or his perspective to other people. They aren't who he is, he doesn't accept them as his personal identity, because none of these labels are truly representative of who he is.

That really struck me, as lately I've been on a path of deconstruction. I've been removing walls, myths, stories and people, in an attempt to understand myself and my world in a more meaningful way. But really, all along the way I've adopted new descriptors, new labels that I took to heart, accepted as part of me. My friend's fresh perspective made me realize that I've essentially knocked down all the external barriers in my way on my personal path towards enlightenment. Now I just need to remove the internal ones, the labels, from my psyche.

Not to say I won't use labels to describe myself. But any one word can't summarize me. Woman. Liberal. Daughter. Friend. Skeptic. Nature-enthusiast. Lover. I've used all these words before and I'll probably still continue to use them to communicate. But am I just a Liberal? No, that word doesn't full describe ME. It doesn't even fully describe my political views, much less make me who I am.

Blogger. That's another word I've found myself drawn to, which is obvious because - here I am. Blogging. On my Blog. Although, this merely describes one of the many things I do, not WHO I am or how I think or what lenses I see the world through.

I've had other blogs, more personal, private ones. And while I feel this blog will also be personal, it might take on new forms. I might use it to share things with friends and family. I might use it to express a particular emotional state. I might list all the movies I watch or books I read in one year. I might post some short stories or poetry. I don't know. That's why I don't mind the label "blogger" as much as others. There is a flexibility, room for growth. It's dynamic. It's moving. It's changeable. Like me.

I think what will tie all my posts together is that they are all about my life. How amazingly egotistical of me, but alas, I think my life is interesting. Why shouldn't others as well? Magazines like People and Star tell us that celebrities' lives are the only ones worth reading about, but I beg to differ. And so would a whole heck of a lot bloggers out there, sharing their story. Although putting my life on the internet for all to see isn't the only reason I have created this blog. Essentially, what I hope to accomplish with this blog is that it not only serve as a vehicle for me to share my life with others, but for me to use it as a tool in deciding which labels I want, if any. It will provide an outlet for my tendency to be overly introspective (perhaps I'm just feeding the addiction, but oh well). And maybe along the way I'll learn something about myself, and maybe after that, someone else will learn something about themselves. I can dream right?

Feel free to comment on my blog, even if you'd just like to say hello. I will moderate all comments, mostly because my grandma might read this someday and I'd rather not make her blush. But always feel free to offer constructive criticism, or to share a similar story, or if you think I'd like your blog. Let's network. Or as my hairstylist said once, "Young people today call it networking, but when I was young I just called it 'being friendly'" I like that.

Let's be friendly. I hope you enjoy my blog.