Sorry about the hiatus.  I was contemplating in what direction I was taking this blog.  I am debating whether introducing more of me into the content would dilute the content.

So, I have been scouring other writing blogs to see what other bloggers say on the topic.  A couple of them have two individual blogs.  One dedicated to writing and the other dedicated to more personal perspectives. 

I can barely find time to write this blog (I work full time).  So sustaining two blogs is not happening. And while I could blog at work, because I am often alone in the office, I do not.  No, I don’t consider myself a goody two shoes (I wonder where that strange expression came from?) by any stretch of the imagination.  I just think that I can accomplish more if I try to keep my activities confined to blocks of time. 

Okay, I also think that when you are hired to do a job and you do your own thing on company time, you are in essence stealing from the company.  It isn’t traditional stealing in tangible goods, but nevertheless, it impacts the bottom line.  How does a small business truly grow if everyone on the payroll takes undue advantage of the situation?

I began this blog on a whim.  Writing daily was my first goal.  I know that if I keep the channels open, writing becomes easier.  It’s like playing piano.  You lay off the keys for awhile; you get rusty.   It also builds a readership.

During my hiatus, I have been learning about search engine optimization and working on writing projects.  I sense that I am spreading myself thin, so I’m paring down again.

I will stick with this blog, because I have things about writing to share.  I will work on my writing. 

And while we are on the topic of knowledge and sharing….did you ever notice that as we grow older, we seem to know less? 

Visit again and learn what I just noticed about aging and learning.  Sometimes, it is painful to be that observant.

When I started blogging, I never realized just how much energy it would take to sustain writing consistently.  I have to admit it became a little easier the more I posted, but still sometimes I think of it as work instead of a fun thing to do.

I like blogging.  Did I kill the fun when I limited the topic to the business of writing?  On some days, such as this, I like writing about whatever I’m thinking about.  (Okay who’s yawning out there?)

Unless my blog becomes a reveal all reality journal, what will be the attraction, the hook?  And do I really want to venture into the realm of telling people I hated my ex-boyfriend’s mother or brother or couldn’t stand my husband’s best friend?

Is it okay now to air the family’s dirty laundry?  Remember the Jones next door will know my secrets and the Jones family in Siberia will too.  

Victoria Schmidt writes “if you can’t stand conflict in life, then you won’t be able to write conflict on the page.  Conflict is what stories are made of, so get used to it.  Enjoy it.  When writers can’t stand to do bad things to their characters, they usually are terrified of conflict.  These writers rarely have successful careers.”  Her point is well taken…but who goes out there and taunts viewers to charge them with daggers? 

Okay, yes shock jocks like Howard Stern and Don Imus, well known for antagonizing one group or another do it.  Yes they are successful for not dancing around conflict but what is the price they have to pay? 

Will I ever be that controversial?  Probably not.  Do I have something to say?  I think so.

So, my immediate issue is that I need to make blogging fun again.

We blog because we want attention.  Otherwise why not write in a journal and hide it under the mattress, the way most people did four decades ago? 

I’m changing the tone, but not the look.  I’m evolving and so is this blog.

Welcome to: The World According To Cori Chu. 

Geesh.  Blogs are now the new hip research project.  The hypothesis is that blogging is good for you. 

And this is a surprise?  Didn’t anyone read the same studies I read about 25 years ago  (cough, cough)? How writing encourages good health was the research topic.  Isn’t blogging considered writing?  So why wouldn’t you surmise that the results might be similar? 

The 25 year old article stressed how even the simple act of writing a list of things to do can greatly improve your well being.

Drawing up a checklist can relieve mental stress, it reported.  By looking at the tasks at a glance, you can tell how realistic your expectations are.  When half the list falls to the next day, it comes as no surprise.  You have become mentally prepared for the stress of  not completing everything you had hoped and therefore, alleviating some of the stress that accompanies leftover tasks.  As the tasks are accomplished, you tick them off,  and aside from getting stuff done, you also get a surge of serotonin, a chemical in your brain, which makes you appreciate what you accomplished.  You feel good.  You feel satisfied.

So what if you poured your feelings onto a page, spewed forth your anger, your frustrations and recognize your many gratitudes and why you feel so blessed?  Will it have a more noticeable, positive impact?  If I remember correctly, it does.  When you spill your guts onto a blank page, it is like opening a pressure cooker valve release. 

At Southern Methodist University and Ohio State University College of Medicine the scientists conducted clinical tests that show that writing contributes directly to your physical health too.  They noticed that their subjects who wrote thoughtfully about their traumatic experience showed increased T-cell production, drop in physician visits, fewer use of sick days, and overall improvement in physical health.

This makes sense, because say we accept the assumption that writing relieves stress.  If stress is relieved, then the immune system is not compromised.  Supposedly, stress and over eating can cause the immune system to slow, leaving the body vulnerable to greater opportunities for infection.  So it is safe to say writing is considered a stress coping mechanism.

Research also reveals that writing improves memory and sleep and speeds healing after surgery. 

All of this is not new.  People have been writing journals and diaries for eons, but what is different is that blogging has allowed the researchers greater access to the process and content.  Bloggers share their thoughts with the world.  And maybe that’s what is making a difference in this round of research studies.  Bloggers hide nothing. 

One article referred to blogging as self-medicating.  Interesting viewpoint…maybe this is up for further exploration in another entry?  Suddenly I’m feeling quite tired.  Did I over do it with the self medication with all this thinking and writing?  Until another day.

Happy 4rth of July.

Yes, sadly I have been MIA from this blog for a few days.  Life gets busy when you least expect it.  However, we must look at these infusions of activity as blessings.  It provides us fuel for our writing, right?

Anyway, today I decided to just give you a few computer tips to minimize your computer disasters…you know when your whole life is locked up on a hard drive and then, the unspeakable happens…it crashes and data recovery is impossible.

Tip #1: Always back up your writing.  I know it is a pain, but you saw what happened to Carrie in Sex in the City when her apple crashed on her?  You don’t have to go through that angst if you back up regularly.  There are several ways to do this.  The easiest is to save it to a flash drive.  The second is a back up to a second installed drive and a CD.  You also have new cyber options, which are free.  One such cyber storage closet is www.mozy.com.  There are more out there, so google it and find out which one works best for you.

Tip #2:  Keep a flash drive handy anyway.  You may find yourself in the library, hotel or an Internet cafe.  You can save your information on the flash drive rather on the public desktop.

Tip #3: When you log on to a web browser, check the prompts and read the material around the login area.  Many times public computers are set to the default to remember passwords.  Make sure the boxes aren’t checked before you log into your email or other password-protected sites. 

Tip #4:  It is best not to do any online banking transactions or buying from a public computer.  You have no idea the computer’s level of security.  It just isn’t worth the risk.

Tip #5:  If you are on a public computer, or even if it is your personal computer, clearing the cache, browsing history, passwords and temp files before you log off is a good habit.

Tip #6:  Check to see that your computer network is secure.  Having a secure network means that you are less likely to intrusions into your system to take your information.  There is a small computer icon located at the bottom of the page to the right.  Click on the icon.  When you do, it will tell you whether your system is secured of not.  If it is not secured, you can go to the help section and find out how to secure the connection.

I hope that these few general computer tips helps keep you happy and typing away.

If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share.