December 18, 2008

Blog slog.

Author's Note: Stay tuned, there's a payoff in the final paragraphs.

This blogging thing is a grind. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy putting my views out there for others to see. In a sense it's liberating since my political slant doesn't fly too well here in Canada There's not a lot of conservatives in my part of the Great White North. I've become accustomed to either keeping my mouth shut or cleverly saying things so as to not betray my principles but not shine a light on my specific beliefs. And it is rewarding to see feedback, when it's earned, either positive or negative though it's been mostly positive so far, or spam.

My blog focuses on politics of the United States because I not so secretly long to become an American some day. You still are the land of opportunity. Do not take that for granted. Despite your setbacks of occasional liberal victories, you've still got the greatest country in the world. For the record, Canada's #2. Think America light; less great, less filling. But I digress.

I've got no complaints about blogging. It's hard work. Coming up with a hopefully interesting slant on some bit of news, that is unique, yet still something to which people can still relate, isn't always easy. Sometimes the ideas and words just fly out, other times there's writer's block that even Ex-Lax wouldn't unblock. Not only is it hard work writing, figuring out ways to get people to know you've written something is no small task. Prior to finding #TCOT on Twitter, I was writing for an audience of me. Even my fiancee Michelle, also conservative and increasingly wanting to be an American too, didn't find my blog that interesting. She's coming around though.

I've got a day job. And a 90 minute commute each way to work and back. And I've got a family to consider. My free time for blogging is very limited. Finding the time at work during lunch to put in the effort to research and write, or spending time on the subway writing drafts on my blackberry is pretty common now. Ad revenue (note the entrepreneurial spirit - I think I'd make a fine American) is virtually non-existent (note the lack of success - I think I'd make a good Chrysler CEO).

Why do it? Well, I'm not averse to hard work. Hard work is a key ingredient to success. I'm even less averse to success (though further from it). Above all, I really believe in what I write. My writing about conservative values and the principles of freedom, free markets, limited government, a strong military to protect those freedoms, a strong work ethic, and Christian principles among other things, are what made America great. If they had never been brought forth from the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and countless American innovations, I wouldn't feel so strongly compelled to write about them, praise them and belabour their importance. I wouldn't be arguing that in the face of an ever growing liberal advantage, conservatives need to rally around what got America this far and stand up for those things with a fierce determination to say we will not be just another socialist, inert and undeserving, uncaring people. And if I didn't believe all that, I wouldn't want to eventually become a citizen of your great country. And I would find that writing a blog day-in, day-out for a small audience wasn't worth my time. But it is.

And if I don't even live in the United States of America, and I feel that strongly, then as a citizen of such a profoundly important nation, it is your civic responsibility to exceed my enthusiasm tenfold. So I implore you, please do.

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