Gordon asks: "Is the meaning of life, really 42?"
I know that the concept comes from Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy. I also know that there is supposedly a formula that proves it. No doubt, this will get me thrown out of the Blog Gang, but I never saw the need to 'get' H2G2 when I were lass, and I don't see the need now.
A Darwinian view would be that the meaning of life is to sustain and reproduce the species. The Christian view would be to prepare for one's life in heaven. Although I don't entirely reject either ideology, I think there's more to it.
"Why do you blog?" Having started, on impulse, and continued, because of a month's sick leave, it's a little like asking "Why do you watch TV?"
The simple answer is that I've always written, and blogging is the first real chance I have had to write for public consumption. Every participatory comment left is a small stroke to my self esteem, and proof that I am not alone.
Sometimes it's a chance to work through issues and get advice or a virtual hug; other times it allows me to express a thought.
I couldn't just blogwrite without the complementary blog reading. I read about other people's lives, which are sometimes entertaining, sometimes a reminder to me that I'm lucky. I begin to understand people and I learn more about myself.
Blogging is like a giant bulletin board, but I have a chance to control it. It's like twenty conversations going on at the same time. It parallels real life where I'm having different conversations with different people. It's not a substitute for Real Life, but, in my opinion, the friendships I have with bloggers are no less valid than the ones I have had with colleagues, comrades and neighbours over the years.
Perhaps, blogging really is the meaning of life. As the byline of the currently hiaiting Not So Soft says - Life Unfolding.
It's not too late to ask a question. I'm leaving it open until until I feel overwhelmed!
