apropos of nothing.

inevitably, whenever there is some lapse in my blog postings i question what the purpose of this blog really is.
the word 'blog' is now a commonly understood thing, with both its negative and positive connotations. there is plenty of online advice about how to have a 'successful' blog and gain a larger audience. [be sure to post at least three times weekly even if you have nothing to say! keep a consistent theme even though your life, talents and activities are multifaceted!] you can even 'earn money' from your blog. [harass your readers with advertisements! review products that no one really cares about!]
please excuse my cynicism here.
as an avid blog reader, i enjoy many sites that 'follow the rules'. i most appreciate the blog writers that allow a brief glimpse into their mind, talents and daily lives. while i vicariously enjoy other people's exotic experiences, what i really respect is the ability to honor the routine of daily life. most of our days are spent doing the ordinary, repetitious tasks that too easily steal our energy and our creativity. to have the ability to extract joy out of the mundane is a honed skill. when reading blogs i don't look for flamboyance or count the number of posts, i want honesty.
ultimately, keeping a blog is a personal thing. i tend to it because, for me, it's a place to honor events and record thoughts. this space and my flickr page both serve as memory guideposts that are made public for others to follow along if they so choose. there is no implied lesson. i don't feign any great wisdom. this is a documentary of a life and there is great value in that.