Am I up to the challenge?

Why a blog?

My sister has been urging me to create a blog for years. One about my life raising a child with Down Syndrome. Or maybe about cooking.

I am definitely passionate about both subjects. However, there are already many inspiring and talented people blogging on those subjects. The challenge, I find, is to decide why I would want to write a blog in the first place. While freaking out my kids could provide a few giggles, that isn’t a good enough reason to go to the trouble. Ultimately, I realize, I don’t need to write a blog primarily for other people. I can use it as an electronic journal of my thoughts and experiences. Like a diary that lives on as long as the internet…or at least as long as I pay for my domain name.

So why not just keep a paper diary next to my bed? Excellent question! The answer is simple…because publishing a blog really scares me! Aren’t blogs for people who have something important to say and do so with better grammar? Also, even if I say I am not doing it for anyone else, I am still creating something that can to be seen by other people. Do I want to put my private thoughts out there to potentially receive negative comments? Lets be honest…people can be really mean when they feel anonymous.

Nonetheless, I have decided to challenge myself. Stepping out of my comfort zone is more important than worrying about things that random people might say. Also if, by any chance, something I write touches or helps even one person then it is worth it!

What to write about?

Simply put…I love to walk and I love to talk…often at the same time. I have had many interesting conversations on my walks. Lots with friends and some alone. Yes it can be a conversation even if it is just with yourself. When I walk alone I often talk out loud but mostly the conversations are in my head. Sometimes I am thinking about what to make for weekly dinners or my to-do list for the day. While I walk I try to pay attention to the sights, sounds and smells around me. Then random thoughts come to me and they lead me to think about life, etc.

So that is what my blog is about. A series of random entries about the thoughts and conversations that happen while I am out walking. Full disclosure: setting up this blog was already so out of my areas of knowledge that I still haven’t figured out how to install the grammar check. One step at a time.

Today I celebrate rising to the challenge and finally running out of excuses.

I think I’ll go for a walk now.