It’s been brought to my attention that I haven’t written anything for the blog in a year and a half. That would suggest to some that I’m not wild about the practice. That would be correct. So I asked myself why. Simply put, I’m suspicious of people who talk to themselves. Of course, since the proliferation of Bluetooth and other stuff to put in your ear (Remember when that was a push-off? Stick it in your ear, chump.) half the people out there appear to be talking to themselves. Nevertheless, the whole blog thing has a belly-button gazing quality.

What’s making it suddenly attractive to me, however, is sort of an offshoot of that. I’m going to treat it as R&R, a time and place where I can sit in front of this infernal device and tap out whatever comes to my mind. It’ll be part of my meditation practice – like the flip side of a coin, ok? I mean, when I meditate, it’s pretty conventional stuff; I retreat to my calm place and try to focus away the chaos that roars around between my ears. The blog’s going to be my chance to rave or rant about whatever crosses my mind. Doesn’t matter if anyone else ever reads it. It’s a chance for me to offload something and bring a little fresh air to where that something used to be.

The other thing is I live alone now, me and the dog Terrible. It makes for an almost perfectly conversation-free zone. I’m looking at the blog as an opportunity for conversation in the house that doesn’t revolve around kibble and the lust to chase squirrels. Frankly, neither is high on my list of needs, but Terrible’s quite serious about both, so it’s only proper for me to defer to that. But the blog will let me wander from the incessant warfare among the hummingbirds at the feeders and to the tranquillity of Puget Sound today – which would make the proverbial millpond look like a maelstrom. As with any conversation, should anyone engage anything I say, I’ll answer I’ll do my best of my ability. And if it never happens, I’ve had a chance to see my own words and more intensely examine my own thoughts.

I’m looking forward to it.