another day

 About ten years ago I saw a blog written by someone I knew from my past. That person wasn't what I would have called a friend, not even an acquaintance really, just a familiar name. I did enjoy the blog and thought it was pretty cool. I was struck by the fact that anyone could write and publish their thoughts to the world wide web. You could just start writing about whatever struck your fancy. And so I did just that. The fact is I have barely missed a day in all this time. The longest occurred just a short time back, almost a week straight without posting anything at all. It was a much needed respite.

 My original thought was to record my thoughts and memories for generations to come. I didn't expect many to read it beyond my family. Turns out my family rarely reads it and others, not related to me at all, do. It has morphed over time into something else, I'm not sure I can define what that is. So I'm going to say it does fit with the title, random thoughts and memories. More random thoughts these days than memories. It's a strange thing about memories. They begin every minute but have to age before they are memories, except they are memories the moment they are created. It's all very confusing sometimes. If it happened yesterday it is just a story. In my mind if it  didn't happen ten years ago or more, it isn't a memory. Do you know what I mean? Anyway I've been writing something ever since that first day.

 I wonder why this compulsion to write? I had no such compulsions in the past, at least not sustained for any length of time. I had written a few poems, mostly forgotten now. But now I have started a book, a string of poems, quotes, and a bit of history. I'm thinking maybe I just want to be remembered and the best way to do that is to leave reminders. Yeah I want something a little more than a granite stone with a name and two dates. I read an essay on " between " one time. I can't recall the author, that addressed that time between those dates on the headstone. Perhaps you've read it also. It is that time I'm writing about, pretty tough to write the before and after portion is my thinking. And then it also dawned on me. I enjoy writing because I get to speak uninterrupted! Yes, I like that. Don't we all? That's a problem with personal conversations, getting to finish your thought. We've all heard about listening to respond, rather than listening to learn. We are all guilty of that and I'm certainly no exception, in fact, I may be the biggest offender of all. I do find it difficult to be patient, to not respond or react until the other person is finished. But here, in my blog, I can go on, uninterrupted. I'm thinking that may be the reason I keep writing, keep sharing thoughts and memories about my life. The day will come when my life will be interrupted; permanently. Or will it? That's another subject altogether however.

 I still find it a rather amazing thing, this blogging and the internet. You do have the capability to reach thousands, millions even, of people. Going viral they call it, you could become a pandemic! Hasn't happened for me but I wasn't going for that anyway. I don't think that is something that can happen by a conscious effort on your part anyway. It just happens. I could expand my platform I suppose, whatever my platform is. Today it is very difficult to discern just what platform anyone or any party stands on. Also another discussion for another day.

I went and looked up the essay/poem I was thinking about. It is titled The Dash, written by Linda Ellis.