Hello

2017…and I’m starting a blog now?  Why?

Well, there’s a lot going on.  Personally.  Professionally.  In this country.  In the world.  I constantly feel like I’m reacting to situations, being bombarded with news and reactions on tv, over email, the web, Twitter, Facebook, etc. etc.  It’s hard to digest.  At times it’s overwhelming and I don’t know what to make of it.  I feel like I’m constantly reacting to things, never taking time to process it all.

So I’m starting this “blog” because I need to reach out. I need to spend some time on self-reflection. I need to vent.  Mostly, I need an outlet and a way to sort through my thoughts.  That is what I want to do here.

Don’t get me wrong…it’s not all bad.  On all levels, there are things that I’m grateful for, excited for, and outright giddy about.  But caught up in the rapid pace by which things are moving, I worry that I’m not fully able to sit and enjoy these things or to fully appreciate them.  That, too, is what I want to do here.

I used quotes around blog above, because I want to be upfront about what this is and to temper any expectations.  In fact, this is not my first attempt at starting a blog.  I’ve started many in the past, only to give up after a few entries.  While I might start these with the best of intentions, my ambition and effort would dwindle.  I found myself writing about things just to write, rather than because I had a reason to do so.  And it made for less exciting writing, and even less exciting reading.

So in a way, I am writing this all for me.  I know that sounds selfish; I don’t mean it to be.  But I’m going to write when I am so motivated, whether to work through a personal issue, share some excitement, or to try to make sense of what’s going on around me (or in my head).  I hope a side benefit is that one other person may find what I say interesting, informative, or helpful in some way.  

And if nothing else, I look forward to looking back on this all in 20 years or more with my family, using these ramblings as reminders of my attempt to make sense of the world of which I was a part.