Why do you blog?

Honestly, I'd like to know. Why do you blog? I've been blogging since November of 2006. That's almost scary to me to think about. I LOVED my old blog, as most of you all know, so I won't bore you with those details. When I first started blogging my adult children had a fit. They told me blogs were for people who liked to talk about themselves. I was offended. I feel my life is pretty much an open book. I wade around here knee-deep in well, shit, most of the time. Literally and figuratively. Life is not perfect and I refuse to pretend that it is. Some bloggers do, but I guarantee you, I am not one of them. I have been told by many people over the years, "Well, at least I know where I stand with you!" I like it that way. No pretenses. It is what it is, so why try to pretend you're something you're not?
I blog because I can't seem to keep a journal and I'd like to think that when I am gone from this world, my children might have an online record of my thoughts and goings on.
My 5th grade teacher, Evelyn Peterson, complimented me on a story I had written in her class. I was reading out loud in front of the whole class. We all know how never-wracking that can be. She complimented me in front of the whole class for using the word "meanwhile". I am almost 49 years old and I've never forgotten that. She didn't have a clue that one little compliment would give me the courage to keep writing, even if it's just for my own personal release, which most often is my main reason for writing. Thank you, Mrs. Peterson!