Blogging and Life

There's something that's just occurred to me over the past few months about one of the many oddities of people. I don't think there is one person, who if they gave it much thought, wouldn't agree that humans are very unique, individualistic (though many claim not to be everyone wants to be the only one of themselves, and they are), and very odd. I cannot speak for other cultures, (so Laura, if you read this maybe you can help me!) but in America at least before the rampant spread of the internet, boys and girls would very commonly keep journals and diaries. Many still do. Now, though the contents of the diary can be contested (they could hold anything from everyday occurrences to your most sacred thoughts), it is generally accepted that whatever it held, they were your private thoughts intended to be known only to you and the Almighty (and occasionally your little brother of sister that wanted to know who you liked so they stole it).
That said, I find it terribly odd that now through websites like facebook, myspace, and our blogs we openly share our thoughts, troubles, poetry, prose, ramblings, disappointments, and joys. Now, I'm not condemning nor condoning either practice; the lock and key of the diary, or the publishing for the world to read. I just find it very odd, and am unsure of what to attribute this dynamic shift in thought and practice to. Are we simply more mature creatures who obviously didn't know what we were doing as children? Is the idea of a blog so impersonal that we don't think it matters what we write? Have our lives become so busy and are we so yearning for friendships that we write in hopes of filling our desperate need for attention and companionship? Was it simply a stage of life? I think we well understood the idea of a diary as children, heck, that's why we locked it! I think as adults we understand that what we post is important, if to no one else, than simply to us, the reason we post! No doubt our lives are busy, but most certainly not too busy, for we've found time to write something on a web page that we could have easily said in conversation in far less time! We also often blog about what we are doing and friends are typically a part of that. Hmmmm...Perhaps not a stage of life either, for many still keep a diary, unwilling to share their most hopeful hopes, disappointing disappointments, and joyous joys. Yet still blog...!
So why then do we blog?? Why do you blog? Truly, we are the most awkward of creatures...perhaps Ryan and I more than others...:P