Just Another Blog

Another blog. Just what the world needs, right? Someone else adding to the clutter of this already overpopulated digital world. What's worse, I haven't even come up with something shiny and new to add to the collection. It's just another blog. Everyone and their mother has a blog these days, and pretty much any subject you could think of is already being blogged about. The other day I came across a blog that was all about edible arrangements. Not that I have anything against edible arrangements - especially if they involve cookies or chocolate (although flowers made of melon freak me out a little). However, if there is a blog completely dedicated to edible arrangements, I have to assume that pretty much all subjects are being covered. What could I possibly have to say that isn't already being said? Truthfully, I'm not really sure. I haven't yet come across a blog about the migration patterns of the South American Fruit Fly, but that's not really a subject I am too interested in covering. I also have not found any blogs dedicated to the happenings of Garry Coleman's daily life, but that would take a lot of research and I don't want to violate my restraining order...again.

So if everyone and their mom is already blogging about everything and anything that could possibly be blogged about, and I am not really sure what I would have to say, then why am I even bothering with starting a blog in the first place? I think there are a few reasons.

For factors that are far too long and complicated to get into here, I have landed myself back in New York and in a job that, at least by my standards, is completely uncreative. I essentially spend my days trying to sell bits of paper, and use a calculator far more often than I would ever care to. Considering the current state of the economy, I am aware of how lucky I am to even have a job, however, I figure that is no reason to stop pursuing my passions; or more accurately, to call off the search for what exactly I am passionate about.

Writing is something I have always loved. At times, I have even been told I am good at it. However, for one reason or another, I have never really let myself consider writing as something I could do, like, for real. Or maybe even for, like, money. I have made attempts here and there, but when I finally sit down at my computer, after a nice solid self pep talk and a few shots of whiskey, it only takes a few sentences before those pesky judgmental thoughts start crawling around in my brain. In fact, that's exactly what's happening right now.

This is a terrible idea. Edible arrangements? Really, Aly? That's not funny. And I think I misused that semicolon back there. Is that even a sentence? Is this even making sense? Did I remember to record So You Think You Can Dance? I really need to start cleaning my computer screen. A real writer would keep her computer screen clean. That rhymes. Haha. Okay, that's not really funny either. Nobody is going to read this crap. How self-indulgent am I? I should have never started a blog!!!

A few weeks ago, I decided that I needed to find a way to stop the questions and see, once and for all, if I really wanted to spend my days writing, and moreover, if I was actually any good at it. Then I found my inspiration. Dave had just enrolled in a bankruptcy and restructuring class at NYU. Not that there is anything particularly inspirational about bankruptcy, or restructuring, for that matter. It was the class part that got me thinking. That's not such a bad idea! After a little look-around on the NYU website, I found a ten-week creative writing course, and signed myself up!

As part of the course, I have to write SOMETHING everyday. It doesn't really matter what form it takes, what it's about, or even what language it's in (actually, I will have to double check on that last bit). All that matters is that I write words down and that I do it each day.

Of course, most people in the class opted to write a journal if they were not already doing so. However, I have never really been able to keep up a journal. I know this is strange coming from someone who is actually considering spending a good portion of her time writing, but I just can't seem to do it. I have made many strong efforts, but inevitably, after a few days, the journal ends up lost under a pile of People magazines next to my bed. One time I even purposely hid it from myself in order to have an excuse not to write in it. How could I write in my journal if I didn't even know where it was?

This is where the blog comes in. I tend to be better about writing when I know someone is actually going to be reading what I write. Not that I am expecting many people to read this blog, but the possibility of a reader could just be enough to make me put some effort into it. And, actually, I am confident that I can pull in at least a few followers.

My mother will surely read my blog, as she has just recently discovered the computer and will find pretty much any excuse to use it. My boyfriend and I live together so he has to read it, as I don't think he wants to deal with the ramifications of not having an answer when I ask him each night what he thought about my blog that day. My professor will probably read it a few times to make sure I am, in fact, writing every day before kicking me out of his class due to complete lack of competence. My siblings may also check in just to have something else to give their little sister a hard time about. Not to mention, their kids will surely be looking for any opportunity to tell their Auntie Aly she said a bad word...again. So there you have it, my family, my boyfriend-slash-roommate, and my teacher. A fairly strong subscription list, I think. Or I would like to think. Or I will keep telling myself.

As you may notice, this is not, in fact, a completely new blog. I actually started this blog last year to give a sampling of some of the writing I did while Dave and I were traveling. Since we were going to be spending a large portion of our time away in Israel, I decided an appropriate title for the blog would be Stories from the Promised Land and Beyond. While, I considered starting a completely fresh blog with a completely fresh title, after some thought, I realized that the title was actually appropriate for this journey of self discovery I was about to embark on. That, and I was just too lazy to re-register with Blogspot.

Despite the title, you should know that I am actually not promising a thing out of this blog. I don't promise it will be meaningful or prolific. I don't promise it will be funny. I don't promise that it will make sense. I don't promise intelligence, insight, or inspiration. I don't promise to solve any world problems or cure any diseases. I don't promise it will stop CNN from considering Kim Kardashian's last twitter about her cellulite is a worthy piece of news. I don't even promise that in a week's time I won't decide this was a terrible idea and choose to fully focus on my ABC gum collection instead. And I certainly don't promise it will be any good.

What I can offer are my stories, my thoughts, my observations, and my attempts at humor. And yes, I am aware that I find myself funnier than most other people do, but that's part of my charm, isn't it? I think it is. Mostly, I want to use this blog as a place to hone my voice and see how other people respond to it.

With that said, here I go into this little corner of the world wide web. I hope you will come for a visit and see what I have to show. I do please ask that you share your thoughts, as your feedback is my most valued measure to see if I do, in fact, have a voice that people would like to hear more of.

And with that, I leap...