To Blog or Not To Blog - or, Why I'm Writing This For Random Strangers

This. Is my first blog. My name is LeeAnn Morrell and in my head I'm a writer. A few people who don't live in my head, may also think so, but the world in general? Nope, never heard of me. I have dreams of writing a novel, a great American one or otherwise. I look at J.K Rowling who allegedly wrote the idea for Harry Potter on a napkin next to her coffee cup and wonder "My God! Where is my napkin!" Which then sends my in a frenzy to my local Starbucks to sit at a table with my decaf (that's a story for another time) latte and my napkin placed just so. I stare meaningfully at it and a pen hovers, ready for action. Then my mind wanders and I find myself thinking of the many colors of dryer lint and if there's anything you can make out of it. And since I don't think that a long and wildy popular novel can be written on the mysterious of dryer lint, I sigh and leave Starbucks again $4.00 poorer and without my multi billion dollar idea.

Maybe, I decided, I'm setting my sights just a smidge too high, maybe I'm putting just a tad too much pressure on myself. After all, creative as I may be, forcing myself to think is just not working. If I just relax, take a hot shower and a Xanax, it will all come clear. Like when you have the name of the bosses nepotistically placed nephew on the tip of your tongue and the harder you try to spit it out the deeper down it goes. Then, later in the middle of something else out pops his name for no reason at all. This by the way, is not funny and very hard to explain in bed later with your husband. (again, another story)

But all the hot shower and Xanax do are put me in a stupor of calmness from which I could care less if I write anything or not. Obviously not productive. So I decide that if a novel is out of reach right now then I need to immediately be hired somewhere as a columnist. I could write a column every week about things. Even dryer lint could warrant a whole column maybe. Unfortunately, no letter comes into my email inbox that says, "You LeeAnn Morrell, are just the humerous writer we have been looking for, can you immediately start turning out 300 word weekly essays on Life, The Universe and Cat Chow?" "Oh, and we forgot to mention the $500.00 a week paycheck that goes along with it?" I do however get yet another email about how to enlarge my penis for under $5.00. Ah, spam.

So my husband says, "Blog" Blog? BLOG? Blogging is not a column, there is no sweaty, boozy editor yelling for more words, complaining about your subjects, your lack of ability to meet your deadline or even your spelling. Whats the fun in.....wait. No editor, no censorship, no deadline, no requirment for good spelling? And that's bad why? Ok, so by writing a blog you are assuming that you have something to say that somebody might want to read. By writing a "column" you are assuming the same thing right? Its just that someone hands you a check every week for doing it.

So my new motto? Blogs are not just for the Unibomber or that guy living in his mother's basement anymore!

Yes, I am a little late to the party. Yes some people will call me a hypocrite for all my vocal attacks on the nature and characters of bloggers. But hypocrite be damned, I'm going to give in a try even if I'm the only one who ever reads it cause, turns out - Blogging is fun!