Why.

I now lend my musings to the overcrowded, overvoiced "radio waves" of our internet-enamored generation. In complete honesty, I do not feel that what I have to contribute as an emerging blogger is anything groundbreaking. It's not going to be profound, although I would prefer to flatter myself into thinking that occasionally it may wander that direction. I simply intend for it to be a collection of musings, thoughts that so often evaporate unexpressed from my mind. Perhaps it is simply that writer's vanity of assuming people want to read what I have to say that has prompted me to start this. Regardless, I have now joined the ever-swelling ocean of voices.

And so, to the wandering, anonymous eyes of the internet, I submit my thoughts for your voyeuristic pleasure.

In this, my innaugural blog, I see an excellent opportunity, not solely to justify my participation in this endeavor, but to briefly touch on my understanding of what it is that prompts us as people to wish so desperately to see and be seen. This principle undoubtedly forms the bedrock for the explosive growth of social media. For example, facebook. At first glance, it appears to be a spectacular tool for convenient interaction. It allows individuals to connect with others in a capacity incomprehensible to former generations. But let me also suggest, beyond the initial appearance of it being merely an electronic neighborhood, it feeds a desire much deeper, much more insidious than an innocent craving for attention. It subtly allows us to popularize ourselves, to feed our own ego with the conceit that the world really does want to watch us. To build unto ourselves our own shrines. Certainly, we enjoy browsing through our friends' profiles. But does commenting on a friend's profile provide the same excitement as seeing that someone has posted on ours? Social media is a dangerous enabler to the glorification of self.

Now, please understand, I am not trying to engage in "facebook-bashing." I have a profile. And I use it shamelessly. But I also believe that I am not immune to the very conceit that I mentioned above. I find secret comfort in thinking that people spend all day eagerly wishing to browse my pictures, religiously read my statuses and personal information. It is that same comfort that I, albeit presumably, feel with beginning this blog. The joy of hearing oneself talk. An appetite to which very few can claim immunity.

What then, you may ask, is the summation of this pretentious little diatribe? I have none. But that's not what I was hoping to achieve. All I wish to do is provide collections of thoughts that could possibly inspire the same in those that can muscle through reading them.