In the interest of full disclosure, I have no idea what I'm doing here.
I've never had any desire to write a blog, nor read anyone else's. I certainly had never given the potential benefits of it any thought. I've tended to associate them with diaries or journals, which never appealed to me either. Truthfully even the word 'blog' has never sounded quite right. I mean, if even the web-tool used to write them identify the word 'blog' as a spelling error how seriously am I meant to take them?
So when I decided to do the '23 Things' and saw that the very first task was to write a blog (about why I'm writing a blog no less) I was immediately put off. What could I say? Should I just type PEER PRESSURE in the largest Font I could? Perhaps with pictures? In all honesty I only heard of the '23 Things' because a colleague at work and a fellow student on my masters were planning on doing it, so in some ways that wouldn't be too far from the truth, although not the whole of it.
Having started this quite late into the program I've had the chance to read other people's thoughts on the matter, and everyone seems to have good solid reasons for starting the '23 Things', and are able to express them far more eloquently that I could. So I nearly didn't bother; quite justifiably I felt at the time (i.e. yesterday). I'm halfway through my distance learning Library and Information Science MSc with Aberystwyth, and there is plenty of reading and coursework that needs doing if I'm going to finish even remotely on schedule. This, I felt, was a nice, reasonable reason to put off doing the thing I didn't want to do anyway. Hell, I'm already 4 Things behind everyone else, so I might as well wait for another one to start in a year or so, by which time I'd probably have a whole new excuse of why to procrastinate further.
Perversely, this is pretty much the reason I ended up starting after all. I DO want to be a librarian, and if older, wiser and more experienced people in the field think this is a good idea for prospective information professionals, well, they'd know. Adding new skills and experiences can only be a good thing, obviously
And if it pushes me outside my comfort zone, then all the better. I'm sure it won't be the last time that will happen in my work-life, so I might as well get used to it early.
Here's hoping it gets a little easier with time...
Interestingly (at least, I think), your blog is the first I've visited since starting 23 Things about an hour ago (also 4 Things behind everyone else), and, like you, I don't know what I'm doing here. Good to know we're both in the same boat. By the way, I think you did a great job with your first post. :)
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