So Why Do I Write About Me?

I'm not very good at writing fiction. Perhaps one day I can try my hand at this, but I'm thinking it might be good to get all the real stuff out of the way first. I have lived a rather colorful existence and throughout my various journeys and adventures, on many occasions, someone - somewhere has inevitably said to me "you've got to write a book." True we all hear this from time to time, but I have taken it quite to heart by now. While that is in the works, I'm having a ball tossing snippets out there by way of this medium.

The single underlying theme I'm going for in all my revelations is ~ stuff happens, but ya gotta bounce back or you might as well crawl into a cave for the rest of your days. I know, long theme. Long list of "stuff" that's happened. I've only just begun to scrape the sides of my little adventure-bowl.

As people read my personal stories, they'll see sparks of humor now and again ... mixed right in with the drama. That's what makes my recipe a little unusual. No credit to me, I was born with a knack to look for humor, irony and the lighter side of darkness. Most importantly, I would like people to understand that I'm having a blast recreating situations and reminiscing. I may have the occasional tear in my eye as I write about dark events, but since crying is what separates us from animals, I don't see this as a negative. Besides, as Joni Mitchell said "laughing and crying, ya know, it's the same release."

I've said all this to drive home the point that I'm not looking to gain sympathy or kudos, to incite anger or bitterness toward anyone concerned, or to pretend that my life was either so much better or so much worse than anyone else's. I simply want to get it all out there and gain a sense of accomplishment in this regard.

One might call this a mid-life crisis ... my timing that is. As I sit here in my fiftieth year, I figure it's time to document as much as I can so that one day, my offspring can have some point of reference when she starts to wonder why I view the world the way I do. My writings won't hold all the answers for her ... they can't. They are MY take on life, after all. But all that people experience (or don't experience) in their years is what makes them who they are today. At the very least, it's my hope she can see me in a different light, a brighter light, than she did before. If in the process of enlightening my daughter, I should happen to mildly entertain some friends and strangers, all the better!