Bloggerhood/Age/Family Pride

Time to get back to the old blog again. I won’t go through any convoluted explanations or rationales about my most recent absence from the blogosphere--as I used to do after previous protracted silences.

I mean, what the hell? Lots of bloggers that I enjoy go through silent periods and then return—without explanation. It’s no big deal to them, so why should it be for me?

Well, actually, I do know why--at least in part. It’s because I start falling into a thought pattern that concludes that no one reads this blog anymore, so why take the time to keep it up? Well, as I’ve said in the past, blogging, among other things, is a commitment to communicate. Lose the commitment and lose the right to wear the moniker, “blogger.” And, I might add, become more isolated.

Maybe the real test of one’s “bloggerhood” is one’s willingness to go back at it after losing most of one’s readers—or fearing that they’re lost.

So here we go again. My return has been prompted by a couple of factors. Frank Paynter sent an email the other day to let me know about his nice write-up in a wonderful blog heretofore unknown to me. (Shameless self-promotion allowed in your case, Frank).

I’m referring to Ronni Bennet’s “Time Goes By.” Her tagline is “what it’s like to get older.” Well, that sure got my attention. I haven’t actually written that much about the experience in this blog, but, goddam, I am indeed right there in the middle of it!

I couldn’t agree more with what seems to be her general perspective on being in this stage of life—i.e., that it’s an un-heralded, under-appreciated, wonderful time—not without its downsides—but what stage of life isn’t?

Ronni’s writings are inspiring me to go through my archives to see what I’ve had to say about the subject, and maybe putting the relevant posts in a category link over on the sidebar.

There was one more factor that encouraged me to get the blog going again. It’s the emergence of my nephew, Jason, as a blogger. He’s been chronicling his semester abroad in New Zealand with some exceedingly good reads. Jason is hands down the best writer in the family. I’m thrilled to see him working his chops in the blogosphere. Way to go, J-O!