A Little Nostalgia

 

Pixabay

Lately, I've been going through old posts here to find some to press into service for my Way Back Wednesday feature. I knew I'd been blogging for a long time, but reading posts written when my now almost-24 year old was in middle school has really driven that point home. 

Actually, it's been a lot of fun. Revealing, too. Sometimes, I wonder if I've changed-- especially amid COVID -- if I've lost patience, empathy, or the positive outlook I always prided myself on having. Nothing like reading the words of my former self to put things in perspective.

There here have been ups and downs -- something that's still true now -- times when I got busy and no post materialized (still true). In fact, when I first started out, I didn't even have a regular posting schedule -- that didn't take shape until I retired (which was, it turned out, only a dress rehearsal). There were features I'd totally forgotten about (I mean you, Link of the Week), and stories I'd forgotten I told, and there were times when I used this space to share excitement (book contracts!), change (a new job!) and loss. 

As I read through the posts, I'm finding that, to borrow a cliché, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The same topics -- work and writing, faith and family -- still resonate with me and make up most of the content. I still worry about finding a balance that prioritizes my work without making my family feel neglected. I still have good writing days and dry spells, and times when projects get delayed by lack of time, lack of energy or life in general.

And as for patience, empathy and a positive outlook? They're still things I have to cultivate and, like anything else, I'm more successful some days than others.

When I first started blogging, first on TypePad and then here on Blogger, I had no idea I'd still be doing it fifteen years later. On the days when topics are hard to come by or I'm scrambling to fit in a post, I wonder if maybe I should cut back a little, but the answer is usually no. On any given day, I have no idea if I have five readers or five thousand (though the latter is unlikely), but I write on anyway.

Thank you for reading my posts -- the poignant ones and the late ones and the ones where my characters take over. It's always fun to imagine who my readers might be, and I hope I inject a little levity or something of value into your day.

Or evening. 

Let's make a deal. I'll keep writing, and you keep reading.

I'm looking forward to seeing what my next read-through turns up and, when I find something I like, I'll share it on a Way Back Wednesday, in the hope that you'll like it too.

Thanks for stopping by.