What’s the Point

So when my friend Michelle launched her blog recently, I was mesmerized by her greatness. Wait, what? You can just write a blog? Isn’t that reserved for journalists? Or stay-at-home moms that make their own soap and practice holistic medicine on their pets, documenting their endless wisdom on wind-powered apparatuses? (yeah, seems like it should be “apparati,” right? Apparently not.)

I guess these were the things I was telling myself to stave off any misguided thoughts that I could possibly write anything of worth or interest to the general populace. (For anyone considering writing any hurtful comments in response to this or future posts, please note my abundant insecurity. Consider Exhibit A submitted to the court.) With an anticipated four-person reader base, however, I don’t imagine cruelty will abound quite yet.

So what’s the point of writing? Capturing adventure. Every day has one. People and places are exciting. Everyone has a story. I want to tell their stories. And mine. It’s genetic. My dad was a storyteller. He weaved fact and fiction into a miraculous tapestry which was retold as a memory, changing slightly from listener to listener. Part of this memory alone is heresay….my dad died when I was 10 and my library of his stories is limited. But he definitely saw life as an adventure and bestowed that lens to me. I didn’t think that was a big deal, until I met people who didn’t see life as an adventure.

Aside from my dad, however, there is another inspiration. Todd Snider. He is a folk singer who watched other people play guitar and sing for money. His response was, “well, shit, I can do that.” (click on that phrase to hear the story; caution: adult language.)

So what’s the point of writing NOW? Well, aside from Michelle, there are a few many other inspirational characters in the storyline recently. My friend Jessica started making pies. Sarah started coaching lives. Jackie wrote a book. Ali and Bethany quit their life-sucking jobs to pursue something they actually like. And Daniel…well, he’s on his way to fame…the dream of being a movie critic is hatching in his soul and he challenged me to pursue my improv comedy dream in like fashion. So, really, I am actually dodging that bullet since a keyboard is less scary than a microphone (just for now Daniel, but the challenge is still on).

So here we go. If this adventurecraft is anything like my Montero, a rusty old farm vehicle that needs major repairs every few hundred miles and smells like exhaust, but has a kick-ass stereo system thanks to the last owner, well then things are going to be just fine.