Jane had a pitch party

over on her "How Publishing Really Works" blog. I went prowling among some blogs that I had not looked at before. I have even added one to my list of blogs I think I should read. Jane was very kind to me. She added my tiny pieces about how cats write to her blog. Thankyou Jane. I feel honoured.
All the activity and prowling around made me think again about blogs and the purpose of blogging. The blogs I visited were many and varied. They varied in content and quality. I liked some and I did not like others. I left 'paw prints' on some and not on others.
Thankfully not one of the blogs was anything like the blog I was directed to earlier in the week. I felt uncomfortable looking at that blog. It should have been fine. It's written by someone who is committed to her faith, her husband, her six (home-schooled) children and her other activities. Most people would say all of these things can be, or even are, good in themselves. Taken in combination and with a 'bare my soul' style it was too much. I squirmed.
Perhaps it was not really a blog. Perhaps it is a vehicle for proselytising instead. I am not sure how she sees it. I am sure she means well - but meaning well is not suffficient.
Blogs are curiously both private and public places. There are people who collect long lists of blogs. I am not sure what they really do with them. I would not have time to read them and I am not sure I would want to read many of them.
There are blogs which get thousands of hits. If I reach a thousand I think I will have done well.
My blog is mine. My posts are my daily training session. I tell myself it is good discipline. A writer needs to write even when they do not want to write. That may be when they do the best writing of all.