On Blogging: Content

Finding something to write about twice a week can be challenging. I have long avoided divisive topics. The reason for this is not because I do not have opinions. I do not want to deal with the conversations that result from writing about religion, politics, sports, or family. I have to admit that at times it makes it difficult for me to feel any sort of passion for this project. 

I shared some thoughts I had about politics. I was called a conspiracy theorist. Another friend said that my position was dangerously ignorant and could be conceived as antisemitic. I was so dumbfounded by this that I didn't bother to figure out how my "the government doesn't care about you and falsely supports causes to continue to fracture our society and maintain their own power," was an assault on the Jewish people. I am 100% certain there is a link, but I genuinely didn't care to understand it. I deleted the post. I wrote something else to replace it and vowed not to get political again. I keep my opinions about that sort of thing to myself. 

I also have not done myself any favors. This isn't a blog with a theme. It is my random, rambling bullshit. I would joke that it is the blog equivalent of the show Seinfeld. The public called that the show about nothing.  This is certainly the blog about nothing, but that is where the comparison ends. Seinfeld is well written, popular, and stands the test of time. My blog is not any of that. 

I could have picked a theme like cooking, gardening, fitness, or hobbies in general and produced something cohesive.  That has not been my style up to this point. It is certainly something I am considering changing for next year. 

I have to admit that I enjoy my current aimless format. It is stupid. It is pointless. Also, the challenge to be creative and put out something of (arguable) quality motivates me. I take pride in my ability to ad lib. I have to be intentional in picking my post topic. Avoiding the controversial stuff can frustrate me.

 I get tempted to point out things like a politician saying that they are going to ban AR-15 and like style "assault rifles" actually leads to an increase in gun sales. The implication behind that being that highlighting gun violence in the media is good making money.  Making speeches makes for good optics and doesn't require any actual action. Wonder if we could map the money trail of lobbyists to prove out domestic political warmongers who are saying things like this for profit. I could even point out how many times I have been out purchasing ammo for target practice that I have heard people talking about Obama or Biden sending out the military to seize all our weapons.

Could I write a few thousand words on how that could be intentional? Yes. Would I sound like a conspiracy theorist? Sure. Also, someone would come along, take offense, and close their mind to any possibility that there is some truth to my observed cause and effect. Nah. I am a gun nut. There is no merit to my opinion. 

I don't argue or try hard to convince anyone of anything these days. I do not like controversy. The level at which I value my peace actually motivates me to avoid posting much of anything to social media. These pointless blog posts aren't safe. They can be misconstrued and lead to quite a few problems, but I also find value in this creative process... at least through the end of the year.

I honestly cannot figure out how to grow my blog. I suspect gardening, cooking, losing weight, or any other dedicated topic would be a good start. Still, if I kicked out a recipe I love would it be right to talk about how much I am enjoying Taylor Swift's newest album? I am. Midnights is nice. She has something of a different sound that I enjoy. To be fair, I have been with T Swizzle since her early country days. I somehow doubt that my opinion on any sort of pop culture is going to gain an audience. The podcast(s) certainly never took fire. 

Could I kick out ideas to gain popularity? I mean what I want in life is Miley Cyrus to connect with more rock bands and cover albums that are just remakes of classic rock and grunge songs. Miley belting out Smells Like Teen Spirit, Cherry Pie, or Jeremy? I might actually buy that album twice. Just keep her away from Gwen Stefani and No Doubt's music. A few things are sacred. Actually, while we are at it, Kesha can do this too. Duets with No Resolve are welcome. 

I also do not talk about my personal life very often. That causes as much controversy as politics, but in a much more intimate place. I have attempted to be vague or to speak in metaphors. This always blows up in my face because people assume they have it figured out. I actually don't mind that. It is easier just not to talk about anything personal. 

Now you understand why my social media is limited to hobbies and occasional shots of the kid doing stuff. I don't even selfie much anymore. All of that probably means all of this is a time suck and not worthwhile. Why put energy and time into a medium that has almost no reward?

That is a question I ask myself a lot. Masturbation has an obvious payoff. I am not against spinning metaphorical wheels to feel good about myself. The funny part is, I don't point people to my blog too often anymore. I don't have pride in it. It isn't a passion project. It is more of something I keep doing to prove to myself that I can. 

What's that lyric from Camilia Cabello's? No reason to stay is a good reason to go? At this moment my reason for staying is that I am sixteen posts from finishing out what I set out to do on my blog for the year. By the time I have all of those written out and posted I should have decided if I am going to stay the course going forward to maintain the writing habit, change to a blog about a single hobby or topic where I will invariably dash in my off topic opinions, or stop blogging altogether.