Why I'm blogging

I feel like I should have a big meaningful introduction to my first blog post. But I really just want to get started writing about something. So I'll be quick with the general introduction.

I decided to start a blog for mutliple reasons. First, I have been reading the blogs of a few friends for a while now and doing that helps me feel like I know what is going on in their lives even when neither of us have time for phone calls or email. Of course, monologue is not the same as dialogue and this is not intended to be a substitute for once in a while picking up the phone. However, those of you who know me know that since treatment for oral cancer three and 1/2 years ago, my mouth has been hypersensitive and often it's just sore by the end of the day and picking up the phone isn't something I can do as often because of that. I hope when it hurts too much to talk, this is a better alternative than no communication at all.

The second reason I thought my own blog would be a good idea is I want to work on my writing more regularly. I do have a journal I write in, but that is not writing I feel I need to polish, it is only for my own consumption. In the past, when I have had occupations where I had to write more often, for example in graduate school, I became a better writer by writing, and I remember clearly the pleasure of reading a page that I had labored over to get it to say exactly what I wanted in a well-crafted way. I don't get that opportunity on the job as much anymore. So I hope writing blog entries might help me work on my writing as well as communicating what is happening in my life.

My last reason is that I think I do have some unique perspectives on things as a double-cancer survivor, striving to live with a lasting disability, and as an avid consumer and applier of psychological research and theory to my everyday life. I hope those of you who like me enough to read this blog will agree. With that, I begin my blog.