Blogligation

People talk about the enormous responsibility that parenting brings... but as I was analyzing that stress (and it is certainly a stress), I think it is more about obligation. It isn't the fact that I am responsible for the well being of my family that causes consternation, but rather the unrelenting obligations of:
1) Making money
2) Spending time with everyone
3) Being available
4) Staying healthy

others too... but when one is single, or even without kids, these obligations are significantly reduced. Add in other obligations such as Fantasy Baseball (and yes, it is an obligation), spending time with parents, friends, doing my job well, and well, it can make you go a little batty.

So why would someone do this? Why take these obligations on, and more importantly, why add an obligation of posting a blog on a semi-regular basis on a voluntary basis. The answer, is unquestionably, the pursuit of Joy (capitalized not to indicate the pursuit of a woman named Joy or Joyce, but rather for importance).

For example, I love, love, love my kids, and it brings me great joy that I have achieved enough success and have been lucky enough in life to be able to provide for them. Instead of seeing obligation as an evil burden, it is so much more liberating once you ask yourself why you keep these obligations, to arrive at the answer that it brings me so much joy. This gets into a greater philosophical discussion concerning nothing done for philanthropic reasons (instead, everything is done for the pursuit of some Joy), but that is a significant digression.

Anyway, I feel this blog will provide me joy if I keep my personal obligation to it.

In other news... I'm off to Alaska Saturday for a fishing trip with several of the people I work for. Interestingly enough, while I am relishing the break from the obligations of day to day life (no cell phone service), I seem to create obligations, trying to figure out how to stay in touch with my family, through email and blogging. It gives me peace to realize I do this out of love and not out of neurosis, at least that is what I tell myself.

Unrelated, Nathan's latest thing is when there is a noise, he will exclaim "What just happened?" The beauty is that you can answer just about anything and he'll say "oh."