Down to business

Okay. So I started this blog a couple of months ago and have done nothing with it. But I think the time has come for me to do some writing.

It occurs to me that writing is a bit of a lost art. We seem to have given in to all other sorts of communication, but the written word, at least in its traditional published form, seems to be increasingly rare. Oh sure, we communicate. I'm wired in. I have my blackberry, and 450 channels of television on which I can occasionally find something worth watching. But I must confess it has been a while since I have picked up a book to read. Like so many of us, I even read my newspaper on line, more as a matter of economics than of preference. I mean, why pay money for the crappy St. Louis Post-Dispatch when I can get it on my laptop free of charge?

So I want to write. I thought about doing a book, but the prospect of working with a publisher seemed a bit overwhelming for me at this point in my life. I have quite a few chapters written though. The theme is roughly "You can go home again." I'll post some of those ramblings from time to time here on this blog.

So this is me. I'm 49 years old, about to become 50. I'm in the middle of a full-blown middle-age crisis that I think I am handling fairly well. I've left two careers to start something new -- what I'm not really sure. I am a full-time caregiver for a father who has A Parkinson's, having moved back into the family home, and in fact my old bedroom, with my partner of 20+ years. Weird, yes. Strange, yes. Good for us, yes.

Everyone in the house tends to crash at around 10:30 PM, including the dog. That leaves me with late night TV. Or on nights like tonight, I take the laptop out onto the patio and listen to the tree frogs and other noisemakers and contemplate life and write. Only starting tonight, I'm writing this blog.

Funny word, blog. A "web-blog." Not so long ago these kinds of musings were kept in what was known as a diary. They were private. A collection of innermost thoughts and feelings that were rarely, if ever, shared with anyone. But a blog -- no, the idea with the blog is to put it all out there and let the world know everything that is going on in your mind. I mean, how egotistical is that? To think that there would be people who would give a rat's patootie about what I have to say. And yet....we seem to all do it.

So that's enough for tonight. It's a start. We'll see if I keep it going. In the meantime, know that I am faithfully yours.

Doug.