Why do you blog?

Assuming you have a blog, why do you blog? What do you usually blog about? Do you use it to sell your wares and other things you've made? Do you use it to post and share your recipes, photography? Do you use it to brag or post about your family/kids? Or complain about your family/kids? Do you use it as a creative outlet, a way to express yourself (your inner thoughts)?

I ask, because there have been a few times where I posted something about people that they ended up reading and they got upset or mad. See, I do use my blog as a way to brag, complain, show off my kids and family. I also use my blog as a form of expression, a diary if you will. But in a house with 8 people, I don't have the space to keep and store journals. I realize that what I post will be seen by tons of people....it's a public blog. I use my blog to express my feelings and while I can't make everyone happy with what I post, I can get my feelings out of my head and off my chest. If I didn't have this as an outlet, I would probably explode or internalize everything....neither of which is good and all of which I've done. I don't have a therapist or see a shrink and Godlove my husband, but he gets tired of hearing every bitch, whine, moan and complaint that I have and I can't say as I blame him.

I have posted about being depressed, my thyroid problems, my weight, my health, shared fat pictures of myself, posted about how pissed I was that people kept saying things about how I look pregnant or how some rude people say mean things about the size of my family or how they make ignorant comments. I've posted my complaints about my family, some friends, my kids. I've posted my feelings and shared pics of my kids. It's funny that when I post these bad things about myself, no one ever calls or emails and says that they are worried or ask if I need someone to talk to or something to that degree. No - all those posts get buried by the ones that concern them. That's okay, I don't mind.

I do realize that people will read this....I realize that I may hurt other people's feelings....But really if people cared about me, wouldn't they feel better knowing that I'm getting this all out of my system instead of letting it eat me to death. I've posted my fears, I posted my thoughts, etc. Where would you rather see me express this? This bottling up of emotions can be a potentially scary thing...you see teenagers all the time expressing their negative feelings by using drugs, drinking, smoking, cutting themselves. Why not give them an outlet where they can express all these intense feelings, maybe to some degree all that negative behavior would stop...who really knows for sure, you know?

If you knew me, you would know that I am a very emotional person. I am insecure about myself. I am timid around people I don't know, I am afraid of people I think of as authority figures. It takes alot of being pushed around before I finally snap and say what's on my mind. I let people walk all over me and then I let them do it some more (my children are perfect examples of this). Would people rather see me express myself or keep bottling it up, just to make them happy? Usually when I get my feelings hurt, I run to my husband. He fights most of these battles for me. He does this because he loves me and doesn't want to see me get hurt. But even after all these years, I'm sure that even he is getting a little tired of it.

Sure, it feels great to post something I did that I'm really proud of...like making up a new recipe, or taking a great picture, or making a craft with Nathan that people thought was cute enough to copy. It feels great getting that feedback. There are also times at work and such where someone will mention something that they read on my blog and it creeps me out that they know so much about me. It sucks too when people don't comment or when they think my idea sucks and they say so. I don't delete comments, unless it was from some stupid company looking for money and they happened to stumble on my blog. I don't delete my posts either. Even if it was really stupid and no one commented. Or something lame I did. Or some gripe I had about my kids. My theory is if you don't like what you read, than don't read it. I kept this blog fairly private (to some degree) until recently, then I started letting everyone read it, because they were finding it and reading it anyway. All you pretty much have to do anymore is Google someone or something and BINGO there you go...their whole life at your fingertips.

So, what do you blog about? How do you use your blog? Do you care what people are reading or seeing? Do you guard your words and thoughts? Do you think that there may be a day when you're child may go to school and find a somewhat nudey baby pic of themselves posted on their locker for the whole school to see? Do you worry that your children will grow up to hate you or not like you for posting all their embarrasing childhood stories? Seriously, I want to know why you do what you do....