HELLO WORLD

I finally decided to start a blog.

Well, another one. I've had blogs before — some were anonymous, some were not. This one is anonymous. "Hobbes" is not my real name, of course: I chose it because it reflects my fairly dark view of human nature. Also, that tiger in the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip was always pretty cool.

In the past, having a blog has had a salutary effect on me. It spurred me to write more and helped me work through various issues. On some blogs I had regular readers. On others I think I was just shouting into the darkness. Having readers helps, of course. It motivates you. But I don't have any high hopes for this one. I'm not going to make any attempt to publicize it, even among my closest friends. I don't even know how one GETS readers. I don't know how to publicize myself — some would say that's one of my biggest flaws.

So part of my reasons for doing are the same self-absorbed reasons anybody does. I like the idea of putting my ideas and writings out there on the Internet, where anybody can access them. Maybe the right person will read my stuff and I'll become famous! Well, we can dream, can't we? If they can make a TV show from somebody's Twitter feed, why can't my blog be a stepping stone to greater things? :)

Yes, I know, keep dreaming. In addition to inchoate yearnings for success, I enjoy the weird cognitive dissonance of living life completely in the open yet somehow being just another, anonymous face in the crowd. And as I said before, maintaining a blog in the past has helped me personally and creatively, and I'm in a part of my life when I need that right now.