Choices, choices

It's a Saturday morning and I am sitting at my computer as usual, before my wife and son get up. I log on weekend mornings for a few reasons. A good friend and I often IM at this time, if we are both on line (we are chatting as I type this). I'll use the quiet time to catch up on e-mails and reading things on line, like friends' blogs or news about my various interests. I'll pay bills if I have any coming due - on line banking is a great convenience, let me tell you.

So now that I have started this blog, I may do some of my blogging at this time too. But the problem is, how do I decide what to write about? Sometimes I can't think of anything that I think would be worth posting. Other times I have a million ideas in my head competing for their space here. What to choose, what to choose? Today, I choose to write about the fact that I find it hard to choose what to write about.

I have lots of interests. I study martial arts. I act in community theater. I'm a big fan of the band Yes, and other progressive rock artists. I love science fiction in all media: books, movies, TV, etc. I love Monty Python and that style of humor. I like baseball. I love to travel. I could write about any or all of those things. I could write about my everyday life, or my philosophies, or I could make something up that has no basis in reality. I think I will eventually write about all of those things, assuming that I don't get sick of this blogging thing, and that everyone who comes by here doesn't tell me to please shut up.

For the moment, I think I will just sign off. I have things to do that require my attention. But I'll be back. Now that I have posted the list of things I might write about, I can refer back to it to remind me, and find some inspiration when I need it. On the other hand, I just might come up with something that isn't on the list. I will try not to be too predictable.

Yeah, this was a boring post. But get used to it; there may well be more.

Read this (other) blog

One reason I decided to go ahead and start my own blog is my enjoyment of reading Wil Wheaton's blog. In case the name isn't instantly familiar, Wil played "Wesley Crusher" on the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and "Gordie" in the film Stand By Me, among many other roles. Wil has had a blog going for several years now, and I have become hooked on his writing. He has a very readable style, quite literate, laced with plenty of humor, but most importantly, brimming with honesty and candor. He has gone through a lot in his life and career, and has shared a great deal of his struggles and triumphs with the readers of his website. The popularity of his blog helped lead him to publish two books, which are collections of his writings on the blog. The two books, Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek, are fantastic reads IMO. They are published by O'Reilly and are available wherever fine books are sold, as well as at the usual spots. Get them, now.

Anyhow, Wil's blog entry dated February 7, 2005 is one of my favorite ever. I won't tell you about it; you need to read it for yourself. Go here:

http://www.wilwheaton.net/mt/archives/001787.php

After you have read that one, scroll through some of his other recent entries, or take a browse through his archives. I'm betting you will enjoy the read.

Testing, testing..... is this thing on?

OK. I started a blog. I did it because I wanted to post a comment in a friend's blog. Now I have one of my own. I suppose maybe someday I will post something interesting in here, but don't hold your breath too long.

I've thought before about starting a blog of my own, but never took the time to do it. Maybe I'll make some use of this thing; many's the time when I've said to myself that I should write down some of my thoughts, whether anyone else ever reads them or not. At the least, it could be a place to practice stringing words together to see if they make sense.

I guess I'd better go post that comment, if I can remember what I was going to say.