Well, here is my aptly titled, obligatory first-ever blog post. It is my hope that this blog will serve as an online repository of my thoughts and interests, be of some interest or aid to others, and ween me off Facebook. I enjoy writing, so hopefully this new endeavor will be less a chore and more like therapy for my soul.
I’ve lived a really good life, all things considered. Certainly, I’ve had my share of disappointments, heartache, bitter failures, and sundry pains and sadnesses. But, all in all, I know I’m lucky. I’ve seen and done some amazing things, known and loved some amazing people. I’m fairly healthy, not too terribly old, satisfied with my here and now, and optimistic about my future, but at peace with whatever the future does hold in store for me.
The first half of my life went far better than I hoped it would when I started out. I’ve been the fortunate recipient of lots of goodness, more than I could have imagined when I was a teenager trying to prise open my future. And, mostly, I feel much younger than my years. But now and then, when I stop to reflect on things, I can feel old, and it is at times like these that I am reminded of Harrison Ford’s words in the first Indiana Jones movie… As you might remember, across the entire movie, Indiana is made to endure one hell after another, and despite the physical toll, somehow manages to keep relentlessly progressing toward his goal: finding the Ark of the Covenant. Nearer the end of the movie, Indiana finds himself sequestered in a ship cabin with his love Marion, who takes a good look at how battered and worn Indiana is and exclaims, “You’re not the man I knew ten years ago,” clearly, meaning that Indiana has gotten old. And, in one of my favorite movie lines ever, Indiana simply replies “It’s not the years, Honey, it’s the mileage.”
Life is a journey, and I’ve tread a lot of miles. A lot of miles. And I hope this journey of mine goes a lot further. I hope I have lots more amazing experiences, meet and get to know lots more amazing people, and generally make the latter half of my life more amazing than I can imagine starting out now. And so I suppose these blog posts will prove a sort of modern-day postcard from the edge of wherever I find myself along the way. Hopefully with pics and videos and sound bites and songs of what I experience as I keep going. My goal will be simply to share some of my life’s sweetnesses with you, Dear Reader.
And so I thank you for taking time to look over my entries. I hope your own life is even sweeter than mine, and I hope, as we journey along in this world together, we’ll connect and touch in some way that makes our lives better.