So I’ve been charged as a student of Blogger University to write a post about why I’ve decided to start a blog.

And here I go….

I love writing. I have kept a journal throughout much of my life, with some breaks here and there to focus on more pressing projects, such as raising two kids with my husband and working full time as a social worker for several years. I found this practice to be useful in capturing my feelings and sorting them out. I also spent a good portion of my childhood, from about age 10 to 16, sitting in solitude in my bedroom atop my yellow and white gingham checkered canopy bed, writing SNL inspired sketches, song lyrics, and some pretty dismal poetry. I also enjoyed some time in high school on the newspaper staff. I even had my own little advice column called “Dear Agnes”. It’s fair to say that writing is an essential part of who I am.

Lucky for me, I have been gifted with the blessing of time at this point in my life. I am a free agent. For the moment at least, I do not have a need to produce any income, which is thanks to my husband  and his super big and smart brain that he uses to earn a good income with his job, where he uses science to achieve the ultimate goal of saving lives from severe weather. So in the words of the Rolling Stones, “Tiiiime is on my side, yes it is”. At least for now anyway. Change is always afoot in my opinion (see previous post entitled “Ch ch ch Changes” for more on that).

Another important factor which motivates me to blog is that I want to connect with other people out there in the world. I am a very social being. I get much of my energy from interacting with other people and I’m very curious about people by nature. Blogging allows me to engage socially in a way I could never have imagined possible.

My hope with this blog is that I can inspire someone. Even just a little bit. This inspiration could be something as simple as a post about how I, a novice wannabe home based “chef”, created a delicious tiramisu cheesecake. Or a post about how I started volunteering in my new home community at the local food bank. Or a post about the self-help tricks I have come up with that have allowed me to start getting over my own shit.  I believe wholeheartedly that every one of this on this great big planet called Earth has their own shit to deal with and stands to benefit by hearing the stories of others, such as myself, to assure them that they are not all by their lonesomes.

I also fervently hope that I can make my readers laugh. I am a big believer in the power of laughter. Nothing can change my attitude quicker than a good solid belly laugh, the kind that induces water works from at least one if not two orifices.

Above all, as Vincent Van Gogh stated many many moons ago “I am seeking. I am striving.I am in it with all my heart”.