What is a blog?

This is a question that I have heard quite a few people ask lately, and one that I myself asked once. Come to think of it, I a lot of times don't ask about things like that. I either go find out the information for myself, or I file away the bits and pieces of info I hear about something until they form a complete picture in my head. Then they all snap together and I say "Whoa! That's what that is/how that works/why that means what it does." Then, of course, everyone looks at me for spouting such random words in public. I think that what weirds them out the most is that I say all the forward slashes. But, okay, I've known for a while what the crap a blog is. But, the idea I've been bouncing around in my head for the past few months (yes, there's that much room in there and I'm that bored, ha ha ha) is, namely, why the crap a blog is. I mean, sure, there may be as many reasons to blog as there are blogs themselves, and the reasons may be as different from one another as are the bloggers. My friend Matt Schneider (who is currently in Berlin) started a blog last semester for the expressed purpose that it was easier than keeping up with friends and family by emailing them. I'm bad at that myself, to some extent. But, can that be my reason? A way to communicate with all my friends at once? I don't know...that sorts of implies I have a lot of close friends. I have a few, to be sure, but not that many...or maybe my perception of how many friends one needs to have to be a happy person is messed up? Maybe I'm a type of person who does better with less, but closer, friends? But, then again, I do have an urge for more friendships, and to achieve being closer with the ones I do have. Some social barriers, real or imagined, can be very hard to overcome. The friend(s) you only ever joke with, the people to whom one may be ill-disposed because of odious personality traits/behaviors. My Interpersonal Relations professor always refers back to a concept he calls "Jerking the Wheel". Imagine the context of any relationship as a road, and the people involved in that relationship as a truck. If that truck always drives in exact the same line upon that road, over time, especially if it's muddy, that road will develop ruts, very strong ruts. Now, the thing to do in that kind of situation is to drive on higher ground, and to push the dirt/mud down into those ruts. However, we often continue the same way we always have, because it's more comfortable and familiar and non-threatening--our "comfort zone", so to speak. Ultimately, in many cases, we continue to drive in those ruts. Eventually, they'll get lower and lower to the point where your truck has sunk so low that it cannot move. The idea, then, is when we find ourselves in these ruts, to "jerk the wheel", to pull the truck back up on the higher ground. This means, as far as interpersonal relationships go, to try something new. Change your attitude, your behaviors, your way of relating. And after almost a semester of hearing that kind of stuff from that professor, I'm still trying to jerk that wheel in many areas. It's harder the farther down in the ruts you get, but I think it's worth it. It requires a lot of attention and work. Unfortunately, being a college student, I'm lazy.
But, really, I guess one of my main reasons for this foray into the Blog Land (I so want to call it that; I always liked how, on old television shows, they would sometimes speak directly to the viewers out there in "TV Land"--which is, of course, the origin of the television channel by the same name--I want to refer to all of those people out there in "Blog Land". And dagnabbit, I'm gonna.) is that I want to answer the question "Why is a blog?" Plus, I think it's good to write journals. I've never really kept one consistently for a long period of time. Maybe this will be a good way to waste time on the computer rather than watching Tunak Tunak for the thirtieth time. I always found it was exciting to write letters to my last girlfriend. I always discovered so much about myself. It's always wonderful to make yourself think your thoughts completely. There are so many thoughts inside of all of us, but we never give them the time to bloom. Hey, maybe I want to let some people in on who I am and how I think. Maybe I want to be able to provide information, wisdom (if that's possible), humor, fun, awareness, shoot, I don't know. Maybe I just think it's neat. Maybe I just want to give a SHOUT OUT to JeSSiPiE!!!!11!11!! w00t! sH3 r0x0Rssz mY BoX0rzzssszsz!!!!!11!!1!!! LOLZomgroflmwfbbqnaacp. But seriously, I don't think I know anyone named JessiPie.
I think I'm going to end this, though. I'm getting tired or something. Stay tuned for future messages, though. I know I will. And can't you people discuss my posts? Neato groovy, man. Though I suppose that it's a bit early for anyone to be doing that, much less reading this post. I don't know when I'm going to get the word out that I have one. Oh well, eventually, then, let me know what you think. Don't be afraid to be honest. My self-esteem is not made of eggshell china. Ooh, that would be pretty cool, though. Not necessarily that it would be made of eggshell china, but that something abstract and intangible like that could be made substantial. Wasn't Dilbert's self-esteem a character for a while?
Hey, so I ramble on and on. So what. I'll put news about me, real thoughts (that is, neat and slash or important thoughts), whatever. I think Matt's blog is pretty cool, just how he'll occasionally mention some neat science thing. Hey, I'll probably even post links to really awesome web content. So, like I said, stay tuned. If you do, it will give me a reason to keep posting.