Regarding My Frequency Of Posting a Blog Entry

“Until you’ve got something worthwhile to say, don’t say nothing.” ~Yogi Berra (the legendary baseball player & manager)

You know lately some folks have been asking me why I don’t blog on a more regular basis.   Good question.   I’ve been giving them a very simple answer.   Lately, I just haven’t had much to say.   You see, unlike some bloggers who feel they must post content EVERY day or risk the wrath of the blog gods…well, I’m just not one of those people.

Quite honestly blogging is not only a way for me to express myself, but it’s also a way for me to connect with other people on a very important level.   Maybe I’m a bit old-school, but I was taught not to put your name on something unless you are damn proud of the effort.   I can honestly tell you I’ve written as many as 3 blog posts this year alone that will never see the light of day in print.   Instead of hitting the “publish” button, I chose to hit the “delete” button instead.

I’m very critical of how my blog posts get viewed by the public.   If my content is boring, silly or otherwise determined to be uninteresting…well, over the years I’ve learned to self-edit myself to the point I either start over or move on to some other subject.

I think part of this is due to the fact I want my blogging to maintain a certain level of professionalism.   After all, the longer a person does something the better they theoretically should become at their craft.   Considering the fact I’ve been blogging now for almost 6 years I’d like to think my efforts have matured in a certain manner to be reflective of this truth.

For that matter, reading some other outdoor blogs provides me the inspiration not to fall back to babbling simply for the sake of creating content.   In recent months I’ve read some bloggers who talk about the damnedest things.   Topics like: “What movie star is your hunting dog most like” or “Should I cut my hair during the hunting season?”   I’m like…what?   Are you serious?   Are these bloggers at such a loss for a legitimate outdoor topic that they must engage in this sort of off-the-wall discussion, albeit conducted in a cutesy manner?

Nope, not me.   I might do a lot of dumb things in my life yet I have more control over what sort of dumb things I say in public—especially on a blog.   I happen to believe you can put your best blog post and your worst blog post side by side…and the general public will more likely remember you for the worst post you write.   It’s just human nature, I suppose.

Okay, before I digress any further let me get back to my point.   I want this blog to be known for quality content, not just frequent and consistent posts.   Truth is having something worthwhile to say is only part of the formula.   The other critical factor, at least in my life, is a hectic lifestyle that just doesn’t always lend itself for blogging.   Watching a 2–year old toddler day in and day out will do that to you.

Still, I want people to understand that blogging has long been an important part of my life and will continue to be so into my future.   I don’t apologize for what might appear to be a lack of effort, at certain times.   Au contraire, I’d rather people accept the fact if I don’t have something important to say rattling around in my head…I won’t waste your time discussing other crap.   At least, I certainly hope not.

©2010 Jim Braaten.   All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.