I’ve done it with many things… but never with my grandfather’s cane.

There are so many different ways some people do it.  Some do it every day.  Some do it maybe once a week.  Some people do it two or three times a day, if they’re really committed and have plenty of stamina.

Some people do it in their bed.  Some people do it at work.  I’ve heard of people doing it on the road, in their car, with another person, taking turns with a group of people.  Sometimes cameras are involved.  Sometimes video is added as well.

Afterward, I’ve heard that sometimes a lot of people join in after the initial action.  Sometimes it’s with friends, sometimes it’s with family, sometimes it’s with complete strangers.  Many times, it’s an enjoyable experience and everybody gets satisfied.  Other times, something bad happens and someone gets cheesed off, and then sour feelings are spread all around.

Some people do it when they’re very young – they don’t let anyone know about it.  Nobody but the private people with which they share their secrets.  Some people do it when they’re very old; they may never have had a chance before to participate.

Some people do it illegally.  Some people do it to hurt others.  Some people do it when they are hurt.  And some people do it as a way to heal from the hurt.

I’ve heard of instances where people did it as one person in one area, then did it as someone entirely different in another area.  Kind of schizophrenic, if you ask me, but if they can pull it off, then more power to ’em, eh?

Some people do it as a personal challenge.  Some people do it as a feat of endurance.  Plot it out, set a goal.  Some people do it anonymously, others do it so that the whole world will know.

Everybody does it differently.  Everybody has their own concept.  And whatever satisfies you, whatever makes your world work best, then that’s the best way for you – if you choose to do it.

Some people hate that others do it all the time.  Some people hate that others don’t do it enough.

Some people would wish that it never happened, and that now everybody sees what’s going on.  Some people don’t want to get involved, and are bothered when they’re brought into the mix against their wishes.  Others don’t mind, and in fact are hurt when they’re NOT asked to participate.

Some people do it for a very short time, get frustrated, and give up.  Others do it for days and days and days, weeks and months and years.  They never give up.  Some people are comfortable with the same steps, others want to try new things to “spice things up.”

Some people want to share what they’ve done with the world.  Other people do it – and then say, “Oh God, I should never have done this,” and quickly pray that all the evidence disappears over time.

Some people do it under a pseudonym – they don’t want their spouse or their family or their employers to find out.  Sometimes this works for a few days, sometimes it works for a few years.  Sometimes they slip up and they’re outed – and then nobody knows what to expect after that.

I’ve been accused of doing it with my car, with my cameras, and with my grandfather’s cane.  Well, I’ll admit to doing it with the car and with the cameras… but my grandfather never had a cane.

But no matter how you do it – no matter what you do or where or with whom or how often – most people do it.

It’s called blogging.

There are as many different approaches to blogging – as many different subjects of blogging – as many different frequencies and patterns and disciplines of blogging – as there are fish in the sea, sand on the beach, and salt in a shaker.  We blog for many different reasons, and the response we receive from our blogs is as varied and as diverse as the blogs we compose.

People blog for a million different reasons, and they blog in a million different formats.  They use blogspot and WordPress and blogging portals provided by their Internet service.  They join blog groups; they hang out their own shingle; they want their voice to be heard.

And whether you agree or disagree with the message; whether you agree or disagree with the format; whether you agree or disagree with the content; or whether you agree or disagree with the blogger; take this, if nothing else, into consideration.

It’s a weblog.  It’s an online diary.  It’s a pulpit.  It’s a soapbox.  It’s a clarion.  It’s our life and our culture.  Some get paid to blog.  Others do it for their own creative reasons.

But at the end of the day, blogging is part of our communication.  And just like there are a thousand different languages in our world, so too are there a thousand different ways to approach blogging.

And no one way to blog is better – or worse – than any other.

Just as no one way to have a conversation is better – or worse – than any other.