I Don't Get It - Why Can't A Person Do Both?

I'm very saddened by the departure of Public Loneliness from the blog world.  He's been a good voice.  There's been a bit of that lately.  Folks leaving, saying they no longer have time to blog, that they've run out of things to say, etc.  I offer not a whit of criticism about such decisions.  A man's gotta do what he's gotta do.

But I am somewhat lost as to why it is impossible to have a "real life" and also participate in the blog world.  I, personally, think I've found a good balance.  I post a few times a month, some months more and some months less depending on my mood.  I don't feel obligated to post.  For me it is recreation and an outlet for things that I would not, for the most part, say to intimate friends and/or things that I feel better equipped to write about rather than verbalize.  I also review many blogs, pausing to read posts when the interest strikes, sometimes commenting, many times not, often times just skimming.  I find some more meaningful and interesting than others, but I really enjoy the experience overall.

And yet I do in fact also have a "real life".  Now, I concede it is not all that, but I interact with live human beings in person.  I get in my car and go visit places.  I attend family functions and small get togethers with close friends.  I have never allowed or felt like my participating in the blog world interfered with other aspects of my life.  It's one part of it.  I enjoy it.

Maybe that's just me.  But I do not believe anyone should ever, ever feel an obligation to post or read or comment.  Each time I read an apology for "not posting more often" or for "not posting in a long time" followed by excuses about why, I want to scream that no excuses are necessary.  There is nothing to feel guilty about.  It's for recreation or relief or curiosity, not for guilt.  Guilt is such a horrible, crippling thing.

Anyway, I felt passionately enough to write this at work which I almost never do.  Oh, wait maybe blogging is interfering with my life.  Yuck.  Yuck.  It certainly interfered with my productivity over the last 10 minutes :).  

Thanks to everyone for your blogs.  I enjoy them immensely.  And I get a lot out of posting to mine.  To those of you departing, I will miss your thoughts.  Come back any time!  I love to hear from old friends.