"The only thing you take with you when you're gone is what you leave behind." John Alliston
I think this is explaining time. Time to explain to you more than myself why I continue to write and publish this blog. You do not know but when I started this blog the intentions was not what it is today. In fact, I just started it because it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I did my first post on November 08 it was Caribbean Blogging from Trinidad
Here was my thinking. I needed an outlet for my writing, one of the worst things anyone could do is to keep writing without the hope of it ever being read. This reminds me of a neighbor, an 82 year old man who lives a very really secluded, almost eccentric lifestyle.
Most days he stays locked up in his room. He is not asleep because I can hear the tip tapping of an old type writer. Believe it or not they still exist. I asked him to try my laptop one day and he laughed at me, said he did not need it.
Anyway, the reason I mentioned him is because of the point I wanted to make about why I continue to maintain this blog.
Recently I initiated a conversation with him because I wanted to know. I asked:
“Mr. James I hear you typing everyday, what are you doing?”
He responded;” I’m doing research in mathematic.”
“I see”, I said, “and who is going to read it?”
“Well”, he said, “it is a legacy that I want to leave with the world, just like Plato and Socrates left legacies; I want to leave my own”
I thought about that for a moment and realized that a typewritten legacy left in an old man’s belonging will hardly find it way into the annals of humanity. In fact, everything he now owns will be dispersed among his family who visits him occasionally.
The truth is that when I started this blog, there was no intention of leaving a legacy; I think it was more that I needed an audience for my writing and a blog was the thing to do. It was only later on when I learned more that I realized that I can also use a blog for my business.
At first it was tiring work, more like a commitment to make a comment about life or marketing but now it is more purposeful. I realized that a blog is a more dynamic substitute for a web site. As I write this the issue of the web site I need to build has not been resolved, it is a work in progress, and I think that is what it is euphemistically called.
One of the signs of a good blog is the number of comments other writers get. When I preview my blog post there are not many comments. Sometimes I think that maybe it is because the content is not interesting enough or that people think it blah and not really worth commenting on, or maybe it is my writing style.
What every the reason, if readers comments was the thing that motivated me, I would have stopped by now. There had to be other compelling reasons.
As I write this I’m actually articulating the reasons for myself. So here they are:
1. The conversation with the old man made me realize that like him, I’m leaving a legacy of what I do, who I am and how I think. Did you know that information placed on the web can stay there forever? I am still able to pull up a website that was on line 15 years ago.
If you want to know how to do that Google, “Wayback Machine” and follow the links. Would someone be able to use my information like they did Plato’s and Socrates works? Absolutely not, it will never be anything like that but it beats typing on a type writer and leaving paper to yellow and disintegrate.
2. Blogging is my way of communicating with my inner self, this piece being a perfect example. I am able to articulate what I feel about issues, either business or otherwise that affect my life.
When I re-read it I can appreciate where I am. Writing has made me change my perspective on a lot of things. It has also put me out there, I try to write pieces that will help the readers either in marketing or just by being an example; I hope in a positive way.
I try not to be too timid or squeamish about my actions because in the end life is just an experiment not a dress rehearsal.
3. Blogging allows me to communicate to an audience of people who want to hear more because they keep coming back even if they leave no comment. As a marketer, it is important for me to track everything and I do, I know how many people visit my blog on a daily basis how long they stay and what they do. I use Google Analytics and SiteCounter.
Like I said before, if I had to rely on comments I would have stopped. I know that controversy provokes comments and I am not controversial enough, yet, to provoke comments. For now the idea is to continue building a following.
OK so I think I have shared my story here with you about why I write this blog. If you have a blog or even if you don’t you should consider doing one. One of the by products doing all this writing is that it helps to develop your ability to communicate with the written word easily and freely.
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Thank you for reading.
