Blame it on the Bloggin'

For this week's Writers' Workshop over at Mama Kat's , I chose the prompt "Why do you blog?"

Now, that's an interesting question, and so many people have asked me why I blogged that I feel this is the right opportunity to answer properly.

Each time I was asked that question, I always felt the need to justify myself, as if I were doing something bad or illegal. People would tilt their heads a little, looking a little concerned. For the most part, I think they dont really know what it's for. But, what is the point, they ask me.

In France, we teach philosophy in High School. Certainly not as thoroughly as we do in University, but we do read Plato and a few of his buddies. I remember my first philosophy class. I was 16 (going on 17... Sorry, BIG fan of The Sound of Music) and very excited. Sandrine had left for England a few years before that to go study philosophy and I was finally going to know what it was all about - I'm pretty sure she must have explained, but then again, I was 11 years old when she left, I'm not sure I was listening or understanding.

Our teacher was great. He was extremely smart, and like all other philosophy teachers, he taught in High schools but also in Uni, at a very high level. He used to tell us he was here to try and teach us how to think for ourselves. To exit the cave, he said.

We all sat in the classroom, I was late so I could only find a seat in the first row. I never left it after that. I liked him a lot. He thought differently from other teachers, you see. He wanted us to think, for real, and he seemed to believe we were all capable of it.

He waited for us to be quiet, and took a moment to look at us. Then, he asked: "So, what's the use of philosophy?" (in French, "Ca sert à quoi, la philo?). Many students, myself included, tried to say something smart. And then, he said: there's no use. "Ca ne sert à rien".

Blogging has no use, either. It serves no purpose. But it did bring us sisters closer, it's fun, and when I write, I think by myself. It's good enough for me.

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