A former New York Times article posed the question, "Aren't blogs passé"? The same thing has occurred to me intermittently. I wonder how effective my personal blog has been and if indeed after 170 posts, it has run its course. The reader comments have been sporadic with a few articles garnering a sizeable number that were thoughtful and offered another way to view. At one point I lived for those and learned that the lack of comments didn't necessarily mean that the articles weren't read or thought provoking. The visits have diminished as well which is not a good sign.Of late, some of my favorite bloggers have 'deserted' their blogs with the latest entries usually published in 2015 or the beginning of 2016. Ta-Nehisi Coates,whom I followed on a fairly consistent basis stated that he missed blogging but inferred that it was waning and it's my belief that other social media was complicit in this phenomena. There was also his other interests that took a considerable amount of his time. This was disheartening for me because I looked forward to personal assessments of current events from people from all of walks of life. I made some wonderful acquaintances and exchanged stimulating points of view which broadened my perspective globally and on the domestic front. The hubris that comes with age and experience living through different eras enhanced my sense of sophistication and knowledge on world and domestic events. As a student of history; especially African, Afro-American and European history, I always felt that the more you know the more there is to learn. The dynamics of the times and analyses from younger intellectuals have given me hope for the future — this includes my daughters. Oh the lively debates and conversations...I live for them!
I'm still on the fence regarding the usefulness of continuing with my blog. While I have been sporadic in publishing posts my sidebar is updated on a weekly basis. I really appreciate the forum and it's really hard to let go. Joshua Becker poses an argument in favor of personal blogging citing this quote: “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” —William Wordsworth. Becker's article rings true in many ways.
It's noteworthy that I have embarked on another interest. Since November 2016 I've been curating a daily paper (Monday-Friday), Viewpoints, with articles from many sources of my choosing on: current events, African and Afro-American culture, science, technology, politics, the arts and women's issues. I can vet the sources and select topics shared by professionals, pundits and those I've come to know through the blogosphere with my own brief commentaries. Brief being the operative word. The paper is also shared on social media, e.g., Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
Blogging is my first love and if nothing else this post serves as a catharsis and one of several means to decide whether or not I will definitely shut down this venue and spend more time on the daily paper. At any rate, I will continue to visit and support those blogs that I find interesting and thought provoking. The blogosphere is massive and the competition to advance ideologies and relate the goings-on in many fields is fierce and can be overwhelming at times.
