Why write a blog?

This is the very beginning of my year-long experiment in blogging. I've wanted to try this for quite some time, but I haven't been able to settle on the focus or format. Then yesterday, on the plane home from my cousin's Bat Mitzvah, somewhere in the sky between San Francisco and Houston, it came to me: I want to ask questions! Like George, the mischievous monkey, I am curious. I am a high school English teacher, a creative cook, a Food Network addict, a sometime writer, a voracious reader, a single mom of almost-grown kids, a lover of crafts and creativity in all its guises. I am an observer and a thinker, and if you care to join me, I want to take you with me as I ask--and attempt to answer-- a different question each week for one whole year.
So, I think it only fitting that the very first question I pose here should be: WHY WRITE A BLOG?
Are you a reader of many blogs? I am, and they range from wonderfully casual but creative blogs about quilting, to professional food blogs, to blogs that have been stepping stones to books/memoirs. My own desire to write a blog is something I've been questioning for the past year and change. After much perusal, I've come up with the following five reasons.
#1--I am a professional procrastinator. I can find a million and one things to do INSTEAD of writing. Sadly, there is no magic pill one can take to cure them of this ailment. However, I have found one surefire remedy: accountability. If I know that someone is expecting to read something I've written, I'm all over it. I'm fast. I'm efficient. My creative juices are flowing like lava from a volcano. Its an amazing thing. So you, dear readers (all two  or three of you?) are the Angels of Accountability. I will imagine  you, sitting eagerly at your computers awaiting each new weekly post, and that will hold me to my goal of writing a blog entry each week for a year.
#2--I turned 50 this year and am rapidly heading toward 51. YIKES!!! Something about that number made me spend the year questioning everything. What have I accomplished so far? What do I still need/want to do? How can I be a better person than I've been for the last half century? What have I learned so far? What can I teach to others? Where is the journey going to take me next? It is common knowledge that age brings wisdom. Maybe it will --after a few more decades--but right now, I feel filled to the brim with questions; hopefully, as I share them with you, we can find some answers together.
#3--A small life vs. a big life. What do I mean? OK, so I am not making a value judgement here, just an observation. Some people lead BIG lives: they are known by many, they have experiences that few are able to share, they have fame or infamy, they live life on the big stage.
Others of us--most of us--lead small lives. Our lives play out in a circle with a much smaller circumference. We are known to a select few...other than that, we are relatively anonymous. Thanks to the internet, that is changing a bit. Sites like YouTube have introduced a radically different kind of experience; I call it the democratization of fame. Blogging is another avenue for people to dip their toes into the bigger world; it is a tributary that leads from the lovely stream of PRIVATE to the wild and wonderful ocean of PUBLIC. Since I'm about 80% introverted by nature, this toe-dipping experiment is kind of scary. However, my grandma Fanny used to say to me, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," and I believe her. So here goes!
#4--Since I am a teacher, I have the summers off. Before you send the evil eye of jealousy my way, let me explain that I believe the summers are a crucial time for teachers to reflect about their teaching practice, to hone up on their knowledge of their subject area, and to push themselves to learn something new, if only to remember how and why we learn. Of course, I want to rest during the summer; I honestly feel the need to recharge my batteries so that I can perform at my highest potential for the upcoming school year. However, I also feel that this precious "off" time needs to be used to accomplish something other than the myriad doctors appointments I've scheduled or the home repairs awaiting my attention. This blog will be a perfect summer project for me, and I am hopeful that the momentum it generates will keep me going during the school year as well.
#5-- Sometimes I rue the fact that I am so fickle when it comes to my hobbies and interests. Reading and writing have been the constants throughout my life, but so many other passions have come and gone. And--if truth be told...(and I intend to tell the truth here), my writing passion has waxed and waned throughout my life as well. I've been on the brink of publishing some of my children's books and then--when the winds shifted in the other direction, I've abandoned those projects/goals to try my hand at something else. Over the years, I've been an avid scrapbooker, beginning quilter, needlepointer, knitter. I've made fabric and felted purses. I've experimented with bread machines, food processors, juicers, stand and hand-held mixers (basically any kitchen gadget known to woman). I've challenged myself to learn to decorate cupcakes or make the perfect macaroni and cheese. Nothing earth-shattering here folks. I am well aware that I am not trying to cure cancer (oh do I wish I could), or solve the Middle East crisis. I am just a 50-year old English teacher who lives in Texas and wants to learn more about life than I already know.

So---this is my goal: over the next 52 weeks, I will ask --and attempt to answer--a different question each week. These questions will range from the silly to the serious, from the small ("Why was I given the name I was given and does it suit me?") to the deep ("Why are we here?")....from the culinary ("How do I make brioche?") to the literary, ("What is my favorite book and why?"). Feel free to comment abundantly. Feel free to pose questions of your own that you would like me to attempt to puzzle through. Feel free to aid me in my search for answers if you feel that I've missed something or gotten off track. All I ask is that you recognize that I am NOT pretending to have all the answers (or even all the questions). This is an experiment/experience, and I hope that we will all enjoy the ride together and maybe even learn something new.
Rachel