my first post (a bit late, i know)

This is my 150th post, which is quite a feat when you consider the fact that my original objective with this blog was to post for about a month or so and then delete it. You see, 6 month before this blog was born I had completed a rather intense, 4 week-long writing workshop. I had enjoyed writing regularly, but without an audience my writing had stopped almost entirely. Furthermore, I had just gotten a computer again after going two years without so the Internet was this novel thing once again. I was vaguely aware of what a blog was, and thought that it might be a way to get writing again by providing me with some form of an audience (not that I expected many people to find it and read it). However, I wasn't sure I'd have the time, desire, or knowledge to maintain a blog at first, so I decided to secretly start one, post for about a month to figure out what the hell I was doing and whether or not I really wanted to do it at all, then delete it and maybe start a new one once I'd figure things out. Things didn't exactly go to plan once word leaked out and so, well, here we are - warts and all. Fortunately, I find maintaining a blog to be a mostly enjoyable experience, obviously since it's been seven month and 150 posts, so I don't really regret much. Well, I do have one regret - I never gave my blog a proper first post. Most people begin their blog with a post explaining who they are and what the objective is, you know, something to give the audience perspective. My first post was this, which is pretty lame. So, I think it's about time that I give my poor Frankenstein blog a proper first post, and here it is:

Hi. My name (or, rather my initials) is MAW and I am jumping on the blog bandwagon. Yes, I'm mildly concerned that many people consider bloggers to be a rather narcissistic sort, but I live a decent part of my life masking a 12-year-old's feelings of insecurity so I know that that's not so. Furthermore, most people who read blogs write them too, so what's the harm in one more blog in an already saturated market? What will my blog be about you ask? Well to be honest, I don't really know yet. Let's see...

Although I enjoy writing and have named my blog after a ee cummings poem, I don't really see this becoming a writerly blog. I really just chose the title because I was stumped. It sort of fits though, seeing as I enjoy poetry, I enjoy traveling and I've been without the Internet for a few years, making it a place I've rarely traveled until recently. Fortunately for you, despite the poetic title, I'm a bit too insecure to share a lot of my personal writing so, no, this won't be a writing blog.

I am a teacher, but I don't see this becoming a "teacher blog." Most teacher blogs are written by earnest folks who keep abreast of current educational movements and political issues and, well, that just ain't me. Furthermore, my sense of humor is a bit more wry than many of the teachers I've come in contact with, and while sarcasm works when you're a flight attendant or a waiter, when teachers talk about their job with a sarcastic tone it is often interpreted as cynicism. Funny, frustrating and sad things do happen to me pretty much on a daily basis at work so I'll probably relay a story or two but, no, I don't see this becoming a teacher blog.

I enjoy pop culture - movies, books, television, music - but I don't really see this being a pop culture blog. Those kinds of blogs are mostly written by insiders who make it their job to scour the media looking for stories to post on. My job makes it a bit impossible to dedicate that sort of time, so although I might relay some of my humble opinions on music, tv and the like, I don't see this becoming a pop culture blog. Consider yourself lucky there, because it would probably just deteriorate into lyrics from The Smiths and quotes from Raising Arizona and Clue.

So what's my purpose here? I guess I don't know. Most personal blogs are like diaries, but I've never been very good at keeping a diary. Furthermore, I doubt even my own mother cares about the mundane details of my daily life such as what I ate for dinner and what I bought at the grocery store. So I guess I'm left with nothing, making this a blog about nothing. I'm not exactly sure how that will turn out, but it worked for Seinfeld, right? So let's give it a go and see what happens.

Alright then, I feel a bit better. A very sincere thank you to those of you who are regular readers of my blog about nothing. I'm planning on keeping this train moving so I hope you continue to humor me for a bit longer. I've got plenty more bits of nothing to say.