Taking a Big Blogging Leap into the Dark...

Well, I've finally bit the bullet, joined the masses, took the plunge... and started a blog! I'm actually scared to death! Already, I'm trying hard not to end everything with either 3 exclamation points or 3 periods. I find in my life that, most often, I'm either super intense (!!!) or worriedly undecided (...), and that's already coming through. I mean, coming through!!! or do I mean, coming through... ?

Anyway, for my first post, I think I need to work my way into this a bit by explaining the reason why I'm doing a blog. Mainly just to loosen up the first-time blogging jitters.
My reason might be the same as anyone's, I don't know. See, I'm not a blog reader at all, which is partly why I'm so nervous to do this... It's kind of like writing a song when you don't sing. But, maybe it's better this way. I have been talking to friends who blog, though, and aside from those who have warned me about the slightly addictive potential to it, most people say that it's a great way to stay in touch with the people they don't see very often, who like seeing pictures of their kids and hearing about the latest goings on in their lives. So, I'm starting this for that reason, certainly. I hope that this blog reaches those with whom I would love to talk on a weekly basis, but for all of those crazy life reasons, don't.
Also, I've heard about how you can publish/print your blog into a book, and keep a record of your family history that way. That sounded like pure brilliance. I told a friend today that I think the scrapbook industry should be shaking in their boots at the thought of that. Why would anyone spend $5 (and for me, about 3-5 hours) a page on a stunning one-of-a-kind scrapbook work of art when they can publish 20 pages and unlimited copies for around $30? If time were no commodity, I would certainly opt for the stunning work of art of course... So, I'm starting a blog for that reason as well.
Lastly, I've been thinking lately that I may be losing my mind. In my former life, before 4 children, a new business, a busy calling, and a new house, I would write in my journal to process the days' or weeks' events, and make sense of my life that way. I knew that my journal might be read by others someday, and so I would try not to be too depressing or morose; while at the same time reflecting real struggles. Hopefully, as time passed those struggles would become triumphs to share, and I would try to draw those connections in the hopes that someone else might benefit. But NOW, I'm not finding time to properly brush and floss, much less write in my journal. My schedule and task list is, what I like to say, "ON BEYOND!", and I'm not making sense of much of it. So, I would have to selfishly say that I'm starting a blog foremostly for that reason: Self-Guided Therapy! Of course, I hope that my dear friends and family will offer up their therapeutic comments as well along the way... so please don't be shy...
So, ultimately, if there is not a single reader on this blog but me, I will at least have a way to touch those far away, a digital family history, and a personal therapeutic outlet for my frazzled brain!!! (Have you noticed the abundance of exclamation points and periods throughout already? This is going to be a work in progress, I can see...)