To read or not to read, and why I don't really care what anyone thinks

Don't get me wrong, I'd love for people to hinge on every word I write, and just knowing that someone might read this makes it interesting. I appreciate if anyone actually takes the time to read my ramblings and rants. But when it comes down to it, I really don't care what anyone thinks or if anyone even reads what I'm writing, because that's how I become a better writer. Writing is something I enjoy as a pursuit, and in order to truly find my voice and become worthy at what I'm doing, I think I need to say the heck with all of you and what you might think.

I don't want to associate myself either with the blogosphere, as it is called. Bloggers to me are mostly a bunch of blowhards that are just hacks in love with the sound of their own voice, and as such are mostly pandering to their audience, especially the ones who claim to be the voice of truth, or reason, or things of that nature. I want to become a real writer, not some pompous jerk trying to tell people how to think or feel, but someone who can enlighten his reader. As such, I can't read blogs and the like, because that isn't what I want to emulate. I need to read literature, poetry, and plays, so that I can see how the real artists practice their crafts. I need to read less from newspapers and magazines because that is playing to the least common denominator. If I were wanting to become a real musician, I wouldn't spend my time listening to a bunch of mindless pop music. If you are what you eat, which I believe you are, then you are also what you read, what you listen to, what you expose yourself to.

I'm not quite sure why I am writing this, other than there is something about putting something out there that makes it real, gets it out of your head and on paper, or in this case the internet, and makes it more official somehow. It's kind of like when you are trying to quit smoking, if you tell someone then you have made some sort of public commitment. So I am making a public commitment to devote myself to becoming a real writer, not some dime a dozen blogger playing to an audience, seeking approval and validation. Because I don't need it, as cocky as that may sound it's how I feel. And if nothing else, I'm going to write how, and what I feel. This is my public pronouncement, I hope it has the intended effect. Only time will tell, but my bet is that it will. And if it doesn't, at least I can say that I gave it a shot, and that like old blue eyes famously crooned, I did it my way.