Why Am I Blogging

For a guy who can't write, I am surprised that I am blogging.  I started out just trying to put down some of my funny experiences so my kids would not forget them.  Then I sort of did some reflective type things to help them understand my decision to be a fulltime RVer.  My reasons for posting things to the internet seem to all revolve around imparting information to my kids and future grandkids.  They were also my reason for creating a family photo website, www.philanddeb.com,  long ago where I could post and catalog pictures and videos of our lives.  Although I am not that old, barely 60, I believe the internet will be around much longer than I and for whatever reason I would like to think that someone above me on the family tree will be interested in my stories.

It's funny how I keep calling them "kids".  All of them are in their 30's now so the term does not really apply but I will keep doing it anyway. 

To get back on track, I am a lousy writer.  The testimony to this is that my own wife has yet to read many of my blogs.  She knows me better than anyone and you can trust her opinion.  It might be advisable to stop right here and focus on something a little more constructive.  What I like about writing is that I have the chance to change how I say something.  I put down what I am thinking and may travel well on before going back and rereading my thoughts.  Then I change it to something a little clearer and easier on the ears.  My style I find is very informal and friendly.  I am one of the world's worst spellers, if not the worst.  I depend heavily on my word processer to identify misspelled words and to offer the correct spelling.  I might also mention that I am also the most unobservant person in the world and the options listed has not always prevented grievous errors in my writing.  When working I was trying to convey the exemplary quality of our project staff and ended up referring to them as imbeciles.  My bad!  In my interment wishes I expressed my desire to be cemented instead of cremated.  When questioned about that one, I just stuck to my guns and figure I may end up in the foundation of a building somewhere.   I would love to hear stories for others who have made similar mistakes.

I have looked at the statistics on my blogs and found that more people than I ever expected have viewed them.  I guess it is not that strange since I frequently look at other people's blogs.  I do find it interesting though.  What do they think when they read about my brother trying to lock me in the bus with a huge German Shepherd or scaring my kids during a séance with Michael Jordan.  Since I started RVing around the country I have met so many interesting folks who travel the country like ourselves.  They all have different stories and I love that.  I love to listen to them.  I love the variety of their backgrounds. You might think that these folks would focus on their past work lives but that is usually the least talked about subject.   We all had different jobs and you do learn about that part of their lives but mostly they like to tell you about their adventures and the people they have encountered during their lives.   For my part, I tell the funny stories that I blog about, the terrible old cars I somehow got to run spitting and spewing, the ice storm that kept us inside for a week or my brother inspiring me to pick up the pace during my first cross country race.  We are all very interesting in our own ways due to our unique experiences and the people we know.

My kids may read this someday and I hope they get to know me a little better.  I will always treasure being able to offer advice or pearls of wisdom those few times when they ask.  I actually wish I could go back and get to know my Mom better.  It would have been nice if she had left a legacy of her life as seen through her eyes as I am attempting to do.  In medieval days, referring to the 60's and 70's, folks left their legacy through letters to family and loved ones.  Their letters were for the most part very private and only a few got to share their thoughts.  That is not the case with the internet.  I keep this in mind when I post things.  I make things a lot less personal.  In private however, I let those I love know just how much I love them through words and actions.