Posted on March 23rd, 2015

My friend Tyler treats me like a Mother Hen. He constantly chides me for not posting to my blog. He calls it his version of ‘tough love,’ but his jabs feel more like a bird’s sharp pecking. They hurt … because I know he’s right, and there’s really no painkiller for The Truth, even if it’s only the itty-bitty personal kind. As Tyler likes to remind me, you can’t claim to be something – anything at all – unless you actually do it. Every time a Nike ad says “Just Do It,” the company must owe royalties to someone. Tyler couldn’t have thought of that all by himself.

You’re only a composer, for example, if you put notes on paper; you’re only a musician if you play an instrument. You’re only a plumber if you install faucets or repair leaky pipes. You’re only a politician if you run for office and embezzle campaign funds. You’re only an actor if you audition for parts (and, in the meantime, wait tables). It’s been several months since I last published to my blog, so I can’t claim to be a writer any more. The freedom to be lazy is like a peanut butter and bacon sandwich; it’s heavy and tempting.

After consulting my Magic 8 Ball, a local Lebanese mystic, and my Ouija board, I think I know why I’ve been lax. It’s not complicated, but it is crippling and I need to face it.

I’m afraid. I haven’t published a new blog post in over a year, and I’m afraid I’ve forgotten how to do it. I’m afraid I haven’t got the “stuff” any more; I’m afraid I’ve forgotten how to write.

I remember how difficult it is … how much effort it takes to create a paragraph with the ‘right’ cadence, to find the word that just seems to fit, to keep the writing enjoyable and fluid but to “land” in a place that makes the posting meaningful rather than just entertaining. It’s more daunting than you think. I want you to smile, to enjoy the way I paint with the words I choose, to find pleasure in reading, perhaps to learn something about me; perhaps to learn something about yourself … but, most of all, to come back for more! One anonymous reader wrote that finding a new blog posting is like discovering a present under the Christmas tree.

I hope you find this posting – and the others that will follow – nicely wrapped and exciting to open. If you look carefully, you’ll find a tag with your name on it. If you're reading this, you've given me a gift ... the least I can do is create one for you.