This is the beginning

I want to keep a record of my journey through VLI, thus this blog.

No, I'm not expecting to end up on Reality TV. In fact, I'm still not sure if I'm even going to give the blog address to anyone else. But for some odd reason, it seems less intimidating to start a blog than a journal. Maybe because I've started (and given up on) several journals in the past. Somehow I always get writer's block, because I start editing what I say until I'm afraid to say anything. And I eliminate anything personal in case anyone ever reads it. And I start obsessing about what I really think. And I feel guilty because I don't write every day. And I worry about my handwriting. And by the time you put all those obsessions together, it's not really worth bothering to write it, and it's definitely not worth bothering to read it! Which is really rather ironic, because I like to write, and I love sharing my [ahem] "brilliant" opinions.

For some absurd reason, a blog seems easier. For one thing, each time you start to write you only have one blank page in front of you, not a whole blank book. Secondly, you know at the outset that it's not private (even if you don't give out the address), so you get over the fear of someone seeing it up front, rather than agonizing over it. And, of course, let's not underestimate the advantage of a word processing and spell-check.