Up until about a year-and-a-half ago, I didn’t realize how many people had blogs. I’d never given it much thought until I went to a meeting for a group of local writers and the leader insisted that every aspiring author should have a platform. “If you don’t have a blog, get one. They’re free.”

Of course, I immediately set up a blog. With my fingers poised above the keyboard, I stared at the blog. It stared back. The tension was unbearable, and it wasn’t long before I caved under the pressure, defeated by a simple blog.

I had nothing to write about. Writing a novel? That’s easy. Writing about me and my interests? Who wants to read that crap? Seriously, people have better things to do, I thought. So, I abandoned my blog for a while. I’m not sure why I went back to it. I think it had something to peer pressure. All the other writers I ran into on writer’s sites were blogging, so obviously I had to do it too. Right?

“If all the other kids decided to jump off a bridge, would you do it too?” my mom used to ask. What a silly question! Of course I would. I mean, if all the other kids were doing it, then it must be a good idea.

Sometimes when I said, “All the other mothers let their kids do it,” my mom would counter with, “Well, I’m not the other kids’ mother.” She had no idea how I envied all the other kids. The ones who could watch rated R movies, stay out past midnight, and drive to Florida on spring-break with a car full of like-minded would-be alcoholics. My mom never let me do anything.

Well, she can’t stop me now. All the cool kids have blogs, and now I have one too. At last, I fit in with the “it” kids. Now that I have what they have, I can write what I want, when I want…if I can think of something to write about. And, even if I can’t think of something to write about? Well, I don’t let that stop me. Obviously. I mean, look at this particular post!

My blog and I still have the occasional staring contest. Whoever blinks first loses. Sometimes the screen flickers and I count that as a point for me. Me and my blog? Yeah, we’re cool.