Why I write -- and why it matters

I'm trying to recall when it is that I first discovered that I like to write, and that (I'd like to think) I'm pretty good at it. I wrote for my high school's newspaper and thought I wanted to pursue a degree in journalism. For several different reasons, that didn't materialize, but I still enjoy writing to this day as often as I can.

I feel like I have a lot to say through writing. I've written three books and written numerous articles for several websites and publications. This might come as a surprise to people who meet me in person. The first thing that stands out about me is that I'm quiet and don't really say much, at least initially.

I'm an extreme introvert -- and personality tests that I've taken confirm this, though I don't feel like I needed one to figure that out. One common characteristic of introverts is that we like to think things through and carefully craft what we want to say before we say it. That's difficult to do during an in-person conversation because that involves quick thinking.

My brain doesn't quite work that way. That's not a bad thing; that just means that I'm different. When I want to share my thoughts with other people, I like to sit at the computer and really put some thought into it, carefully considering every word and reading it through over and over again to make sure I get the exact message out that I want.

Writing is a good release for me because I feel like I have plenty to say; I just am not good at saying it in person. That's one good thing about the internet and social media: For all the negative that comes with it, it gives introverts like myself a voice, a chance to get my thoughts out to the world. With modern trends such as email, Facebook, and web pages, we've all had to become good at communicating through the written word. And I think that's a good thing.

Over the past several months, for various reasons, I haven't done much writing. And I've missed it. I enjoy sharing my thoughts with others, but more importantly for myself, I enjoy getting those thoughts that have been bubbling in my brain out into the world. It's something that everyone needs to do in one way or another. Some people like to do it through in-person conversation. This, however, is my preferred method.

So, in the coming weeks and months, I'm going to try to do a lot more writing and share it with all of you. I hope you'll find what I have to say both interesting and informative and that both of us (myself and you the reader) get something out of it.