Seven months ago I started a Blog with the intention of having yet another creative outlet for two of my favorite past times – writing and photography. I wanted the blog to be specific to the two of us and chronicle our retirement life including travel, adventures and hobbies.

Since the internet is a highly public venue, it was important to me to design it in a congenial way that would invite viewers to feel welcome peeking into our lives and sharing their own stories. My style reflects a casual, laid back attitude that is honest and sincere. I also wanted the blog to mirror my “show and tell” approach to life and have included titles like “Recipes” and “If You Go” in an effort to provide readers with some useful information.

I follow several blogs and recently have come to think of them as a regular part of my weekly social interaction and entertainment. I enjoy reading current posts or something from the archives that catches my attention and teaches me. Most of the blogs I follow have been around for two or three years. I do not know any of the people who write them but each has gained my attention for different reasons and I have come to appreciate them as one would a new friend. Each blog is specific to its owner and usually reflects the personality and interest of that individual.

I am particularly drawn to well written blogs by compassionate, professional, knowledgeable, and most of all, interesting people. Bloggers who respond to my comments timely and with consideration make me feel like a valued reader. My favorite blogs have content that deals with retirement since that is my current stage of life but I also like cooking, home decorating, nature and photography blogs. I am sure that if I had an interest in sky diving or bike riding I could find blogs on those subjects as well.

Some bloggers promote e-books and have a host of ads and sponsors and I imagine that those are more like a job than a hobby. I think professional blogging is probably one of the fastest growing industries on the planet. I shy away from “professional” blogs for the most part because content tends to take a back seat to advertising, although I have found some very good ones – mostly dealing with food. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day to devote to blog reading. So, I limit my time to blogs that entertain or enlighten me in some way.

Admittedly, I am hooked on blogging and will not abandon my new favorite hobby anytime soon. It is satisfying on a lot of levels and until I find a compelling reason to do an about face, I am here to stay. My greatest challenge at this point is to keep it in perspective – blogging friends should never get more attention than the ones I know face to face.

What are your thoughts on blogging? Do you view blogs as entertaining, enlightening, educational, social or just a basic connection with people who have a shared interest?