Why do you blog?

Rosa Murillo asked why people blog. It must have struck a chord with me. Here was my answer:
The question you raise is one that I just took for granted. I started blogging because I'm from a small midwestern town in the United States.

I've met creative people from all over the world. It not only expands my horizons, but my concern for individuals far, far away. If a contact lives in a country where political unrest is reported on the news, it becomes more than just a story about some country way over on the other side of the world. It becomes personal. That is a good thing. We're all part of this world together.

Blogging also introduces me to like-minded people. Growing up I felt so different. I didn't have that drive to "fit in" like everyone else seemed to. I wanted to think for myself and try new things. Lo and behold, there are other people in the world who what the same thing. They just were not in my immediate area.

Lastly, I think I blog so I can look back and remember where I've come from, what I've done. I've always imagined that when I get old, I would make a book of each and every blog or Flickr page. I would read and re-read my whole life. I'd be able to share it with others who didn't know me way back in the day... like my caregivers, or grandchildren. Maybe I would have Alzheimer's. I could read my life over just like in the movie "The Notebook."