Having raised three daughters, the most common question encountered was “Why?” It wasn’t the “why” after a definitive declaration or command but the natural inquisitive “why” born of innate curiosity.

In architecture and technology, the question of “which is more important, form or function” has been debated for millennia. It is not my intent to settle the debate in this post. Suffice it to say, I believe the natural curiosity pertaining to function (What is it and What does it do?) to be more important in most circumstances than the inquiry about form and material (How is it made and How does it work?).

This blog works and has the same basic form consisting of similar materials as thousands of other blogs on the internet. What makes it different? The difference I hope, is its function. Not just in my life but perhaps to those who can relate to the material or who are innately curious about the purpose.

What is that purpose?

1. It’s a healthy outlet. There are various ways in which individuals find release from the daily buildup of stress and anxieties of life; hitting the gym, yoga, martial arts, aerobics, walking, hiking, bicycling, cooking, eating, reading, writing, gambling, shopping, etc. Some healthy and some not so much. This comes from experience, from someone who has had the good and bad outlets
2. It’s a platform. We all can’t be political activists, members of city council, chairman of boards, financial committee members, volunteer first responders, President of the PTA, employee of the month, etc. Here is a platform to speak about those things that are important to you. A place to begin and engage in conversation.
3. It’s a story. Not everyone has the social or media access to have grievances aired, injustices addressed or their story told, good or bad. The media feeds us the story and we are expected to mold our life to it. Here your story can be told and heard by more than the select few who ultimately would decide if your story is worthy.
4. It provides encouragement. It’s encouraging to discover that you’re not alone. Perhaps you feel like a “lone wolf” that “the whole world is against you.” You’re not the only one who holds that view, who thinks those thoughts, feels those feelings, has those beliefs, etc. No matter how different you seem to others, there is always someone who has walked in those shoes and is walking that road.
5. It offers hope. This starts by one person sharing the hope they have with another individual, and that person sharing with another, and so on it goes. Without hope we soon sink into despair and end up seeking purpose 1, a healthy outlet.

The truth is there are countless blogs, vlogs, podcasts, websites, and social media platforms and apps on the internet that may be the last material that another human being sees. If this truth was a purposeful reality, do you think we would be more deliberate about the functions of our material? Or would we still just be all about our material?