….but it isn’t often. I talk all the time! By profession I’m even getting paid to talk.
Studies show that women speak three times more words per day then men. Clearly I was not a part of the study, or it would have skewed the results. In my marriage, Kelly and I have it backwards. I think I speak three times more words than Kelly. And she isn’t quiet. She is extroverted like me and probably speaks the normal amount of words per day for a woman. She just happens to be married to an extra-extrovert who has a hard time shutting up. When we did the His Needs, Her Needs Emotional Need assessment, my # 1 emotional need was conversation (to all of my guy friends who are laughing, a VERY close second was sex, so back off! I actually tried to combine these two emotional needs at the same time but it just irritated Kelly 
).
So, when I’m not talking, everyone who knows me wonders, “What’s wrong?” ”Is Sam OK?” Say…for example…when I don’t blog for over two months. ”Does Sam need an anti-depressant?” ”Did something happen?” etc.
Sometimes, and it is rare, I just don’t feel like talking. And I have no idea why. For a good several months, I just didn’t feel like blogging.
A lot of people start blogs and after a few posts, they fade away. They might try again a few months later, but then, once again, it fades away. I believe the reason why is because blogging is a mindset. For years I thought in “blog.” Everything that happened in my life would be, “Oh that’s a blog.” ”I’m blogging that!” Blog blog blog. When you are in that mindset blogging is easy, fast, and enjoyable. The moment you have to work at blogging, it is no longer fun (at least for me). And for whatever reason, I had a season where I stopped thinking in blog. And then I felt pressure to blog. And it became no fun. So I took a break.
I do think blogging is different now than when I first started.
1. Facebook and other social medias has changed the accessibility and convenience of blogs. Facebook provides instant thought (often too instant) on a convenient newsfeed. Blogs don’t do that. Unless you are checking on an RSS feeder, you actually have to go to the person’s blog, etc. Not as convenient.
2. Social media has reduced even more our attention span. We aren’t interested in anything of great length (I’d be surprised if you were still with me now). 140 characters. Our attention span is shrinking. I can post a video on my blog, and someone will rip the link and post it on their Facebook. Everyone sees it…but on Facebook.
3. Blogging in some way is like feeding a monster. If you stop blogging, people walk away. This isn’t a criticism. Why keep checking a blog that has been on the same stupid commercial video from Wal-Mart for over two months!!!? ”Really, two months later it is still your favorite commercial!? Get a life dude!” But if you want to keep people engaged with your blog, you have to post often. I posted three times yesterday and the number of people reading Sam I Am quadrupled from anything I had seen in months! Feed the beast. If not, they’ll walk away.
For whatever reason, I feel myself coming back. My thoughts are starting to return to “Oh…that’s a blog!” ”I’m blogging that!”
