Why I Blog?
The global pandemic and quarantine forced humanity to take a break. Many have suffered from the tragedies of disease, unemployment, homelessness, social inequalities and climate catastrophe.
For some, the global pause is a welcomed break and an unexpected gift. While patiently waiting for this historic moment to pass, I pondered on life, reflected on my past and reevaluated my present. In this indefinite pause, I decided to start this blog.
I blog to learn.
As I trawled the web, I stumbled upon exciting ideas and perspectives. One of which is an article that talks about the Feynman Technique, a technique that helps anyone learn quickly. Richard Feynman is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who thought of himself as nothing but a hardworking and ordinary person. Feynman had a systematic way of approaching his interests, which helped him learn quickly and thoroughly. The primary step in this technique involves teaching others what one has learned. By doing so, one will hone their capabilities to structure, dissect, absorb, and recall complex concepts and knowledge through teaching others.
Like Feynman, I have multiple interests in which I’d endeavour to become more knowledgeable and experienced. I blog to practice the Feynman Technique and enhance my learning.
Good writing is clear thinking made visible. ~ Bill Wheeler
I blog to figure out life.
Life can be frightful or joyful and everything in between. Some things can seem so right one day and completely wrong the next. Whenever I feel uncertain, undecided, or down, I turn to my pages and write. I’ve followed Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages for many years, putting streams of consciousness onto paper. It’s cathartic. Writing reveals patterns, points to clues and guides the way out of my inner chaos and anxieties.
Writing helps to make sense of life’s complexities, maintain a sense of groundedness and gain clarity. Blogging is my way of speaking out about the things that make sense, though often it doesn’t, and interacting with the outer world. In the process, I hope to figure out life.
Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open. ~ Natalie Goldberg
I blog to be a writer.
Reading was encouraged while I was growing up. Teachers gave star stickers for every completed book. And I had plenty of them. My parents never had the money to buy toys but would almost always say yes to books. Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, Little Women and the mystery series by Agatha Christie were my best friends.
The school library had always been my sanctuary, my hideaway from the school gossip and the bullies. Today, I have access to library books 24/7 using the Libby app and plough through ebooks whenever there is time to spare.
This lifelong habit of reading makes me want to write. The more I read, the more I want to write. The more I write, the more I want to read.
Life has too many stories to tell, ideas to share and inspirations to unleash. This blog is my training wheel so that I’d write enough and have the confidence to call myself a writer one day.
I blog to honour the past.
It’s not something that I’m proud to admit… but my memory is failing. I forget the sights and smells of places, the warmth and energy of people; the thrill and joy of events. Photographs of years past look like snapshots of strangers.
No, that can’t be me! Where was I?
A friend once explained that living in a place for a long time helps to keep the memory of people and events alive. The environmental and societal cues will trigger conversations, actions, and decisions linked to past events. Because I migrate every 4 to 5 years, I don’t have access to environmental and societal triggers. And so, memory fades. Out of sight, out of mind.
I want to preserve my memory, my stories and my lessons. By blogging, I hope to better remember and honour my past.
I blog to keep it real.
With the smartphone by our side 24/7, too many things distract us from our purpose and the essential things. Life is too short to be distracted. In the quarantine days of COVID19, I was introduced to books about Digital Minimalism, Slow Movement and Attention Resistance. Since then, I’ve done the slow and painful task of clearing off the non-essentials and re-orienting my focus on the things that matter.
My focus is to explore the breadth of human experiences and the depths into universal truths. By blogging, I hope to keep it real by sharing these misadventures and telling my stories for many years to come.
While you are here, feel free to wander about my blog. Blogging is not a one-way street. If inspiration or joy strikes you, I’d love to hear from you! :)
