A nod to self-indulgence.

Blogging. The most 21st century of terms. Why have I decided to join the legions, sign up, jump on the proverbial band wagon you may ask? I certainly did. I suppose I have always considered blogging to be a relatively self-indulgent practice, one engaged in by those who believed the world simply needed to hear what they had to say. I must confess though, I was ill-informed. In recent months I have actually ventured into this world and spent many a Saturday afternoon occupied by the stories, recipes, ideas and photos of some people I know, and others I will most likely never meet. The blogs I enjoyed most were written by everyday people, about everyday events. Everyday events a little bit out of the ordinary perhaps, or bringing a smile to someone's face. Beautiful photos, delicious food, but yet ordinary people sharing their ordinary lives. The only conclusion I can draw here is that we, as humans, are an inherently curious bunch. Yes, these may be ordinary people but for reasons I cannot describe, I remain interested in what they saw, what they thought, what they cooked, drew and said. So perhaps blogs are, in fact, self-indulgent. But they're also an excellent way to while away a lazy afternoon.

The main attraction of blogging lies, for me, in the chance to write. I don't pretend to have a spectacularly exciting life. I enjoy travelling, reading, good food, good wine and good friends, but then, who doesn't? I have recently acquired a decent camera and intend to turn my love of good photography into an ability to actually produce good photography. What I don't have, is a creative outlet. Somewhere to record these adventures, memories, everyday events. Once upon a time I studied journalism in the mistaken belief it would allow me to indulge my love of words, a belief that was effortlessly quashed by our lecturers within the very first minutes. Needless to say, I never got around to completing that degree. So herein lies the beauty of blogging, I can write. 

Finally, "waffling, present participle of the verb 'waffle': to speak or write, especially at great length, without saying anything particularly important or useful." My senior English teacher was very fond of peppering compliments with requests to please reduce the amount of waffling, dear. Unfortunately, I don't believe I ever quite mastered that knack. I do believe, however, that my penchant for waffling may be quite the handy tool with which to enter the blogging world. That and I just really, really like waffles.