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Me and the blogger behind Elegant Ignance had a conversation about a month ago where we both expressed surprised at how many blogs there are. We both said that had we known that there were so many blogs, we probably wouldn’t have started ours. Someone then pointed out to Crystal, the writer of EI, that she has a different perspective than others and there being ‘a lot’ of blogs doesn’t make her blog any less valuable.

I started HappyAboutThis almost three months ago and I am still finding my voice. I want to balance my desire to write about what I am interested in verses what I believe people want to read. The more I read the blogs that are available I think there is plenty of room for my perspective.

There are some purposes that I definitely don't want H.A.T. to serve.

I’ll never issue advice--I’m not qualified to advise anyone on anything unless they are preparing for a speech, media appearance, or need other professional communications advice [If you need such advise, please contact me, I have reasonable prices and great recommendations].

This is most certainly not a sensational or satirical blog…they’ll be no titles like “10 things Black Men Can Do to Control Their Jumpoffs” or "How Lacefronts are Ruining Relationships." In fact, H.A.T. will not be a blog that focuses on relationships either.

Furthermore, H.A.T. is not going to be a political or racial discourse blog, although I do provide commentary of that nature and welcome such discussion.

So what should it be?

A few months ago someone I was following on twitter lamented the decline of the “personal blog.” The blog that follows someone’s life through ups and downs, not a niche subject blog i.e. limiting your writing to race or healthcare or dating etc. Personal blogs give readers regular insight into the writer's mind and allows readers to view and consume their opinions in context. I believe this is the biggest advantage of having a blog overall and I plan to take advantage.

Turning H.A.T. into a personal blog will be good for a few reasons. At least 2 times a week (I’m not exaggerating) someone tells me that I need my own reality show. People seem to be interested in me, what I do, why I say the things I say, and why I am so dramatic and without filter. Let’s see if that interest wanes once I’m handing out my fuckery several times a week.

Finally, taking this personal will make the posts less random. Readers will know why I’m writing about certain topics and will have a better understanding of why I believe the way I do. I am definitely a fan of "personal stories" (and I have and will continue to print OTHER people's personal stories on my blog such as Justin Cooper's tale of his bouts with depression and Greg C's story of 100lb weight loss). I think this blog will be a great place for those who like a lil soap opera while they peruse the web.

I am hoping that these changes will give me the opportunity to achieve a few goals with my blog.

• Grow my commentary writing (Place articles in publication etc.)
• Increase the precision of my writing (you know, nailing it on the head).
• Become more concise (nailing it on the head briefly)
• Start something and continue with it (I’m not disciplined whatsoever)
• Expand the number of viewpoints to which I have access (Please don’t be ignorant in my comment section *hovers over delete button*)
• Examine my own skills, abilities, beliefs and opinions (I like to be challenged, very few people’s opinions and skills sets are fully formed or perfectly expressed and executed, let's discuss!)

All of this, hopefully, with the help of some thoughtful readers.

The look of H.A.T. will be revamped pretty soon and I am considering switching from blogger to wordpress. However, in the meantime, posts will continue with a new slant starting Monday.

Feedback is welcome!