Crikey! (now, there's a good British word!) - I've been tagged!

Well, I am astounded to find, on reading one of my favourite blogs today, that I have been challenged to write down five reasons why I blog! Can I think of five?? Well, I'll have a go...

1. It's all my husband's fault (yes, you have been tagged now). (AS to it being his fault, isn't it always?? I could use that line so often...). He's a techie when it comes to the Internet, a blogosphere junkie, and he was driving me mad. He'd started a blog. I hated it. I thought it meant that somehow he couldn't communicate with me in the real world, so he had to write it all down and share his thoughts with a bunch of strangers. Weird (I thought). Then he wrote a few posts. They shared things with friends and family that otherwise would have been lost in his own thoughts. I sort-of got it. A bit. So, I thought I might give a try...

2. I read some of the blogs that linked to his. They were interesting! It was fun reading about friends and colleagues that wrote some great blogs. Maybe this was a good way to keep in touch, I thought. We were about to start IVF. What a good way to share all that stuff with my friends and family, and not bore them to death over the phone...

3. Well, of course, then it got interesting! People started visiting my blog, my confidence grew and I realised what an interesting social medium it is. Suddenly it didn't seem like it was for computer geeks! I had truly never once thought that anyone I don't know would read it! So that encouraged me to keep blogging.

4. It became quite therapeutic, and I got this great feeling from finding blogs like one plus two, posybunny, full plate, the Ravin' Picture Maven, and The Silent I (yes, unless you already have been, consider yourself tagged guys!!) How great to read other people's blogs, and find such synergy! That was the real clincher...

5. And finally, the cliche. Where else can you reach out across the world like this? share issues that matter, hear other people's views and thoughts and dreams, both in your family and friends circle, but also in places you will probably never visit or have the opportunity to see? To "meet" people who I will never meet in person? To get the chance, through other's eyes, to grow and develop your knowledge and experience of really important issues, like racism, religion, childcare, parenting, love, friendship, struggles - in such an open and honest way? To laugh out loud at the humour (some of you are so funny and clever in your writing!)

Well, I found more than five reasons, much to my surprise! Most of all, it has taught me, as life often does, to stop being so threatened by "new" things, to get out there and try it, and open my eyes to new experiences and mediums, rather than sit entrenched in my "it worries me! I don't like it!" corner.

I am of course, not admitting my husband was right... Not publicly, anyway...