Apes have opposable thumbs (in fact, they are ahead of us – they have four and we only have two).

And lots of other species use tools.

Storytelling is what really sets us humans apart.

Get any two people together, and provided they have the rudiments of a shared language, they start in with the stories. Where they are from; shared experiences; see-if-you-can-top-this contests; jokes… it goes on for a lifetime!

Enter blogs. The dramatic and uncontrolled explosion of blogs on the technology and social scene is not really so astounding when you realize that it provides nearly anyone a forum for telling their stories. (Whether or not there are actual listeners is another subject, called “Comments”. Can you hear my echoing “hel-lOoo…??”) It’s show-and-tell all grown up! As a matter of fact, it’s that ‘uncontrolled’ part that makes it revolutionary. I didn’t have to get anyone’s permission or pass any editorial board to start this blog. Philosophical note: I believe that freedom – this is just one example – brings responsibility with it. Apparently, not everyone shares that conviction.

Here’s an excellent explanation of what the big deal is about blogs: http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs. I love Common Craft videos! They are brief explanations about technology things, in terms the non-techie person can understand. I plan to share a couple of others with you in future posts.

Of course, you are reading a blog now, so you know what at least one looks like. There are some great knitting blogs out there, of many flavors, and I’ve gathered links to a few of my current favorites in the Blogroll widget in my sidebar. Once you find a blogger you like to read, see who they like to read, and so on (and on and on. You can really lose track of time. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

In a post I’m planning to publish in the near future, I’ll show you how you can make keeping up with your favorite blogs really, really easy.

So for those of us who don’t live in a physical community of knitters, blogs are just one way to connect with people who share our interest/passion/obsession. And don’t forget that it’s a two-way street! Bloggers love to get comments – otherwise, how would we know that anyone is out there listening to our stories? And story-telling is just no fun without someone listening. I know. My family gets all politely glassy-eyed if I start into any details about a fun new knitting technique or project… *sigh*