...and how do you do Mr. Wilson?

Hi Bnet,

I am trying an experiment with writing a journal. It will succeed or fail depending on my on-going level of interest. I have heard many times over my few years the advice to keep a journal. Now with on-line discussion forums it is very easy. And being on-line it is easy to access while away from home. The blog sites let anyone create a blog and the site provides the format. Other bnetters may want to start their own.

The full history of the postings are available and searchable. The owner of the blog can choose the level of access from none up to full public access. There was nothing to stop me over the past 20 or more years from simply writing my thoughts in document files on my computer. Somehow the convenience of an on-line, organized format has prompted my to start this project. I am not sure why, though I have participated in on-line discussions for about 12 years. It has at times been frustrating to wait of for a blog author to move on to an interesting topic. With your own blog you wait only for yourself, and every topic is interesting (to you).

I am thinking to keep a low profile since I am not interested in maintaining a public discussion group. The idea is to try to capture some of my thoughts that have accumulated over the years. Some postings may be of more or less interest to others. If I bother to write them, they are at least of minimal interest to myself. As I explain in the second post, my language skills are somewhat limited so blog readers will get what they pay for. (Except for Mom (and Dad) who paid dearly :)

As with any on-line exchange, it is always good advice to treat it like it is open to the public. So don't expose more than minimal personal information. Still anyone so motivated can likely hack into someone's personal information. I will just try not to make it easily available in one place if I can manage it. (For example, my location is shown in the image behind the title.)

The blog owner, of course, has full ability to edit and delete. So if I change my mind I may add or take away as I see fit.

As I recalled my collection of thoughts I began writing a list of topics, each enough to remind me of a subject. Including some intended overlap, the list is about 120 lines and counting. I could easily turn it into about 100 blog postings each a few paragraphs.

The blog title is "Hear I am". A play on ancient references and the view from inside.

http://james-heariam.blogspot.com/

The topics may range far and wide. I will attempt to get across why any given topic makes sense to me, even if it does not make sense to anybody else much-less is even remotely related to the level achieved by talented authors who submit to peer-review. I suppose my blog is simply James-review. A scary thought. I anticipate excitement, confusion, striving, achieving, failing, embarrassment and much more... 

If some of us start blogs, we can begin to accumulate a history of family and friends for all to enjoy.

I would appreciate any comments as people have a few minutes here and there, now and then, to whomever and whenever...

Love,

James

Are you more stubborn than a 5th grader?

Not sure about the whole 'smarter than a 5th grader' game. However, I recall being one stubborn 5th grader. I once asked myself: "If I have been speaking English my entire life, why do I have to endure these lectures, textbooks, rules, exercises, and homework? This is all frustratingly tedious and difficult. I disagree that it is at all necessary. So in protest, I will no longer apply myself to the English lessons." (Or thoughts to that effect). Besides, math, science and field trips were much more interesting.

I have been paying the price ever since. Part of my debt came due in Mr. Wilbur's class at Analy High School. I was amazed when he stated confidently "We will all together write a poem before the end of this class". Astounding! I was skeptical. Then he proceeded to solicit the class for topics, engage us in exploring the topics, lead us to generate some connections around a theme, and then to express the elements in a general poetic frame. Excitement grew as the class saw a structure begin to take shape and we began generating even more elements. With a little rearranging, next thing you know we had a poem. And it was not bad and was completed in much less than the class hour. It made an impression on me.

The remainder of my debt to the English language was due and payable at S.R.J.C.  The English 1A class included use of a style reference text (Brown or something similar) and a limited review of the basics, both of which were quite helpful.  To my relief, I made it through. The 1B class included study of literature and writing essays. Fortunately I had picked up enough language skills along the way and I was just arriving at a level of maturity and life experience where I could write. Then it clicked. I had hit a stride. Later in the 1B class rather than straining to finish an assignment I found myself once or twice having to edit a paper down to the maximum 8 or 10 pages.

Over the years I have been able to function just fine at home and work, however I still have trouble with the parts of speech and fundamentals of the language. One excellent resource is the series of picture books by Ruth Heller. It may sound funny, but being written for young children they are much more fun than a style manual. I have been meaning to take a look at those books once-in-a-while to see if I can recover a little better grasp of my letters. In a way it makes sense that I am inclined to return to a book that would have been a great help at the time of my fateful decision.

It is amazing how the consequences of our choices ripple through our lives.

I am.

I am. At least I think I am. Writing my first blog post. And breaking a rule about on-line posting after my bed-time. Late thoughts tend toward a feeling of D’oh! in the morning. All my life my mind has wandered….. and sometimes when it is late I write things that seem like a good idea at the time but not so much the next morning.

I recall several times hearing the wise advice from my elders: keep a journal. It is so easy now with blogs online I am finally giving it a try. Access is convenient and maybe someday it will be of interest to others. I do not know how this is going to play out. If I have regrets in the morning (any morning) I may revise or edit as I see fit.

Over the years I have come across interesting ideas and explore them for a while and eventually leave them as I get busy with whatever comes next. I used to get an idea about once a week. The rate has tapered off over the years. For many of the ideas I had no use and sometimes I would send them to someone else I thought could use them. Sometimes I did have a use. Some of the interesting ideas I can still recall, I will try to put into words here.

So,

Hear we go…