You asked me a question at the ballgame last night Kory, and we tried to have a conversation on it.  But amidst all the hollered ‘Go Team!’ and the screeching, ‘No!’ and the guttural ‘Yeah!’, together with the general cacophony of the ball smacking back and forth, we didn’t get very far.  And then the football came scuttling in like a missile from some other country, and the missile interceptor stumbled over me and my computer.  Conversation is difficult in those circumstances.  And I think footballs should be outlawed in gyms anyway.  Not because of the stumble incident, but because of what they do to the tin on the walls.

Let me finish here.  It’s much quieter.

You asked why I have started posting my stuff.  A few months ago, our local paperman announced that he was going to stop his weekly column.  His column was called “Press Clippings.”  I messaged my friend David and told him he needed to start throwing his stuff on there.  Because his stuff is good.  He said, “If I put my stuff on there it would have to be called Grass Clippings, that’s all it’s worth.”

I couldn’t lay down the idea of something like that.  I could even call it ‘Grass Clippings’ and then when people threw the paper in their compost bin, there would be no hurt feelings on either side.   I wondered if some of the stuff I wrote could maybe help the old folks in the assisted living while their time away.  Especially during covid.  So, one day, on the sly, I visited the editor of the newspaper and asked her what she planned to do with that space.  She said they didn’t have any plans at this point for it and asked why I asked.

I told her I wrote off and on, that it was very basic stuff.  She wanted to see a sample of it, so I sent her some.  She said they would be happy to print anything I sent. 

I thought I might pull this off by myself, but it seemed like a big step.  I took my wife into my confidence, and, seeing as how she is a very wise woman, decided to go with her advice.  She agreed that might be a big step, and in a small town like ours, could have mixed results.  My family advised me to rather post it like I have been doing in sort of a neutral territory.  And that has been good advice.

That’s the short answer.  Someday, I’d like to write a series titled, ‘I Write to Survive.’  But that might take a while to finish.

There have been a number of folks, including you, who have shown an interest in the project and even offered encouragement and kind words.  Thank you.  That you tell me such things is humbling.  Your words have been the shot in the arm I have needed. 

I will continue to post for the foreseeable future, but I will not be bound to a schedule as such.  If I have material that is finished, I’ll post it on Monday as I have been.  I’m thinking of throwing a little blip out somewhere during the week.  More of an impression type of thing, maybe. 

In the meantime, if you have friends or family whose day seems long and you think this stuff would interest them, feel free to pass it along, or direct them to the site where it all gets posted.

Oh, and Kory? Thanks for the chance to visit with you.  I always enjoy it.