Why Blogging Is Important

So, as usual, I am way, way, way behind on my blog reading. I am sorry that I haven't read your blog, because, believe me, I LOVE your blog. I also love Aunt Becky's blog - and really, all things Aunt Becky - so when she suggested I write about something, I had to do it.

Plus, it's hard to come up with topics when I'm home with sick kids for days on end. Unless you want to hear about how much I already love those crazy bitches on Real Housewives of D.C.

Why Blogging is Important

Let's just suppose, for a moment, that all the ancient old media types are right to dismiss the connections and communities blogging has developed, the news stories it has broken and the launch of many wonderful writers. Let's even blame blogging for the popularity of The Jersey Shore, while we're at it.

Still, blogging is important. I doubt very many members of the old media - or any media, really - were history majors. But I was. And while I would never dismiss the importance of newspapers in historical record keeping, you know what came before newspapers?

Letters. Reading old letters, from Presidents or writers or regular people, has given historians invaluable information about the past. Though, because many people were illiterate or enslaved or whatnot, historical information has always been rather skewed towards a relatively small percentage of the population. Still, reading  the conversations between people like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington has given us so much insight into that era.

Certain kinds of people lament that we don't write letters anymore, that there will be no tangible record or our time. Obviously, those people don't read blogs. Blogs are the letters of our time, a tangible record of how regular people lived and felt and worked and collected weird dolls and studied calculus and interacted with each other.

Someday 200 years from now, expectant mothers can look fondly at their womb machines while they read about what it's like to actually carry a baby. Someday, historians will really be able to see how "the common people" felt about the economy and the war and the best way to potty train. Someday blog records will show kids that history is way more than just a dry study of dates and politics.

Important as the historical aspect is, though, I would never agree with the old media types. Blogging saved me from going stir crazy when I first stayed home with a 2 year old and a 1 year old. It's taught me so much about writing and parenting. It's introduced me - even if only virtually - to some completely amazing people. You can't dismiss writers like Jen Lancaster, the craziness of Rielle Hunter and the amazing support groups that have developed to help people through tragedies.

On a final note, you know who doesn't like blogging? Tyrants like the Iranian and Chinese governments. So, hey, if you want to align yourself with them, go ahead and put down blogs.