This is year 13 of this site.[1] That’s kind of crazy. Over the past maybe year or so I have, for the first time ever, struggled to find things to write about. It’s not because I lack time. I have plenty of that. It’s not that I don’t want to write. That’s still something I feel compelled to do at times. And since I don’t enjoy phone conversations, this site has always been my way of staying in touch with friends who are scattered about the country. That remains a central goal of my writing.

I’ve found that what is missing is those little nuggets of inspirition. Some of that is because I don’t watch nearly as much TV as I used to. A pretty good chunk of my posts in the first 6–7 years of the site were based on things I saw on TV. I don’t have a little notebook full of silly/interesting tidbits I saw on TV anymore.

The bigger change, though, is my kids. Those of you who are parents know that your kids slowly do fewer delightful things as they get older. It’s not that they don’t still do interesting things. They absolutely do, sometimes even more amazing things than when they were little. But these moments come with greater gaps between then. I think it may be easier to share those infant/toddler moments than older moments, too. Everyone loves hearing about a baby rolling over for the first time, saying its first words, taking its first steps, etc. Sharing the brilliance of a fifth grade social studies project has a less universal resonance. Even with three kids, those little moments of must-share brilliance are less common.

I’ve been trying to come up with a way to prime the writing pump. The other night it finally struck me: rather than bundling the links I share into single posts I put up every couple of weeks, I need to use those linked stories as fuel to kick off my own writing.

So that’s my plan. I’ll be sharing links more often, with more of my own thoughts attached. Hopefully this gets me going again, and gives you more enjoyable things to read here more often.

As always, your attention is very much appreciated.

D

  1. First post here. Shame on me for missing the anniversary.  ↩