To get it out of the way - yes, my real name is Katrina. Feel free to use it.

Once.

And now, moving on:

One of the best things about writing a blog is very simple.

It's a chance to talk without anyone interrupting.

I know, I know - that's incredibly selfish. But when it comes down to it, the chance to have a captive audience is incredibly rare. So even if only one person reads said blog, as they are scanning my words on the page - or on the screen - it means that for a moment in time, someone is paying complete attention to what I have to say.

Fabulous!

I try very hard to listen to my friends, and make sure that what they are expressing is not going in one ear and out the other. What they are feeling is important. What they are saying should never be discounted; and let's face it, the art of active listening is rapidly losing traction in the Age of Apathy. But come on - who doesn't love the opportunity to express their opinions about life, the universe and everything without interruption?

It's also mentally a very soothing thing to do. It allows at least a part of your psyche to relax a little - well, that's what it does for me anyway. It means I can do a re-file of my thoughts and let some fresh air in, and usually gives me a little bit of clarity to start my day with.

I am immensely grateful for the ability to string words into some semblance of prose. To be able to speak to people in a way that resonates - not perhaps on a very grand level, but on a level that connects just the same.

And I am even more grateful that I get to do it without anyone interrupting me.

Because to enjoy one's own conversation may make us selfish - but it also makes us human.

And I defy anyone to say that they don't love the sound of their own voice...