Why am I launching a blog site? Fair question. I could take the easy way and say, “why not?” But I have seldom chosen the easy way. So here are my reasons:
I’m doing this for me. It helps me to clarify my thoughts and ideas when I write them down. Seeing my thoughts in writing helps me spot the inconsistencies and just plain wrong ideas that bounce around in my head. What seems right when it pops into my head often can’t stand the scrutiny when I read it on the page. So keeping this blog will enable me to better understand the world and my place in it. But if this is for me, why publish it on the Internet instead of keeping it to myself in my computer?
That brings me to the second reason for this blog.
Some of these thoughts may be of help to others. I learned a long time ago the importance of sharing one’s story and one’s thoughts. No, I am not claiming to be some great thinker or guru. I am a seventy-five year old man who has experienced many things over the years, some good, some bad; and many that were neither good nor bad, they just were. Will Rogers said: “Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement.” That is certainly true in my life. But maybe some of the experiences I have had, and the lessons I have learned, will help another person find the answer he or she is seeking. Maybe some of the experiences I have had will help someone avoid the mistakes I have made. And if no one finds these musings of any benefit, I still have reason number one above to validate my effort.
Years ago I asked my son to create a picture that would illustrate our need for each other as we pursue life. He quickly created the symbol that appears at the top of my masthead. When I asked him what it meant, he said, ” When you climb a mountain it is always easier if you have someone to help.” So it is in life. Life is best when shared with others. What I share will be some of my thoughts and experiences, but I will also share the thoughts and experiences of many others who have attempted to understand and put meaning into their lives. Not everything I share will reflect my own thinking and values. Some ideas will just be thought provoking. You can accept or reject anything here. I’m not trying to start a dialogue between you and me. I just want to provide something that may (or may not) cause you to think, and maybe be of use—or just make you laugh.