Transitions

I promised I would share some thoughts about why this blog and why now. My life is in a period of transition. I just turned 60 this fall, I will retire from teaching in about 6 months after 33 years, and my mother passed away over the Thanksgiving holiday. Certainly enough reasons to step back and contemplate. 

I think that my mother passing may be the greatest reason to write. It struck me as we looked at old photographs, and remembered her life, that all we had was what we heard, what details a cousin could add, a visit to the old neighborhood. It all seemed flat, in one dimension. We could tell stories about the picture, about who it was, and where it was and what was happening, but it was our guesses. How I wished that the person on the page could tell me more, to tell me their story, and how full of crap I was in my thinking, Like some Harry Potter newspaper where the photos come alive and speak to the reader. 

I don't think I want this to be a maudlin, sappy, memoir to the generations ahead but I think it would be nice for somebody looking back to have a more detailed picture of where I was in my life, what I was thinking and what I was doing,

(Sheesh, look at all the - I this, I that, I think, I don't thinks in the paragraphs above! Hey , Doug - it IS about ME!) 

In my family I am referred to as the "family historian" - a title I hate, by the way. I have always been interested in the "story" of history. On a personal level, it would be hard for me to not know my "story"  For some reason, it is important to me to understand the context of where I come from. I know enough, but I wish I knew more. The ways and days of how things are, and how things are done. As I wonder about the details of the life of immigrants in an industrial valley full of factories, I hope that folks who find this down the road find some details of life in suburban Connecticut in the early 21st century.

Second of January dawns warmer than yesterday. We leave our friends after three days of relaxing, good eating, some outdoor activities and good conversation. 

New Year! New Start! Great Hike!

Let me start by saying that this bog/journal has had lots of fits and starts. While New Year's is an excellent day to begin again, I fully expect that my writing here will be in fits and start. I have lots of reasons to do this journal. Rather than dump them out as kind of a preamble to what you will find here I hope to share them with you in the next few days (weeks?) of writing.

Tonight I write from a couch across from a fireplace with a gently burning fire, with my friend Dave Shannon strumming away on guitar solos. We have been visiting our friends Dave and Janice at their new home on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. It is always a treat to go visiting what we call the best free B&B experience in NH.  Last night we experienced First Night Wolfeboro and today we hiked to Bald Mountain, a good 2 mile scramble to a good views of the lake. Cold day, partly sunny with a breeze and 28 degrees. Nice way to start the new year.

The dinner bell will ring shortly so this post will be short. Really too short for the first post of a ongoing journal, but more to come.

Before I go I need to acknowledge the good model my old friend Doug Hammerstrom has set in his ongoing chronicles - Its Not About Me:  http://notaboutme.typepad.com/not_about_me/ . Now the nasty schoolboy is still as confused as his was when I first laid eyes on him about 40 year ago making bunk beds at the IDC, so take what you want from his content. However, the good doctor has constructed an excellent frame which I intend to copy in my own way, 1) Thoughtful prose (Notice Douglas, I said thoughtful, not correct) 2) I listing of what media I am I am currently consuming. Doug does a good job of sharing what music he is listening to, and what books he is reading, I'd like to do that but maybe be a bit broader including podcast I listen to, blogs I like and maybe some social media I connect to,

Let the fun begin!