Can we talk? About me?

On this day in 1936, Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin.

 

“I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well.”

Henry David Thoreau

On this day in 1854, Henry David Thoreau published Walden: Or, Life in the Woods.

I recently read/listened to Walden again via the LibriVox app. LibriVox is a free app where volunteers read works that are in the public domain.

I’ve gone through several books this way, Walden being the latest.

Mug Shots
(click the pic)

In full disclosure, I found it a bit tedious.

I mean, seriously, how many different ways can you describe a pond that has frozen over?

I’m sure Thoreau could count them.

I digress.

He has a point though. I spend much of this blog writing about myself, what I’m doing, what the family is or isn’t doing, what the dogs are doing…you get the point.

And I’m grateful for each of you who stop by daily, or occasionally to see if I’m doing anything interesting.

At the same time, I know I’m never going to build that list to 47,000 (or more) followers just by talking about myself.

So, where does that leave me?

I’m not quite sure. But I’m working on it.

This week I’m following a couple of webinars, a couple of the “experts” to see if I can refine that.

Granted, I’ve snarked about some of them before. I do not intend to be spending $499, good during this presentation only, to find out how to become a bazillionaire. Or, conversely, $499 further in debt.

But where there are opportunities to learn from others, I’m willing to listen to what they have to say. Whether or not I sign on to their program or plan is a different story.

It may be the more frustrating route to build this by myself. But one of these days, for the low price of $499, I’ll tell you how it was done.

I’m joking. I will never be that kind of “expert.” And I don’t want to be.

I want to write things of value. Things of worth.

To me, talking about myself is worth it. I’m just not sure that it’s always worth the time of my readers.

Then again, maybe if I can talk about the challenges life is throwing in my way…if I can talk about the struggles of being an almost-elderly man looking toward retirement while planning his second (third) career…or if I can talk about things like faith, or politics, or health…or whatever, the maybe my audience will find that useful, and worthwhile.

Part of the time this week on staycation is being used to further define those writing goals.

Maybe some things need to be put on the shelf. Maybe some new things need to be started.

I just don’t know.

But I think you know that, if nothing else, I’ll be talking about it here.

True Confession: A little more than two years ago this month, I started a daily writing project which I titled “How I Wrote My Ass Out of Hell.” with the intent of building the post-retirement writing career.

I got sidetracked with other things. At the same time, things in the warm place evened out a little bit (don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty to annoy me), and I took a little more realistic look at when I can actually say “I’m retiring.”

It’s all good. Life would be boring if it was predictable.

I have the goals. As I’ve been discussing I’m working on short-term goals that will be the building blocks for the long-term goals.

But for today, I’ve talked about me enough. Let’s talk about you.

What do you think about me?

For the record, I have no intention downloading that ridiculous new app that lets people make totally random, anonymous comments.

If you’re going to insult me, do it to my face.

That way I know who to make the next victim in my novel.

And I won’t even charge you $499.

FIVE THINGS FOR YOUR WEDNESDAY

Lawmakers slam Trump’s promise to unleash ‘fire and fury’ on North Korea
ABC News
Following President Donald Trump’s warning to North Korea on Tuesday that the U.S. would unleash “fire and fury” upon the rogue nation if its threats of nuclear warfare continue, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle slammed the president’s comments as incendiary and inappropriate.

Judicial Watch Warns California to Clean Voter Registration Lists or Face Federal Lawsuit
JudicialWatch
In the letter, Judicial Watch noted that public records obtained on the Election Assistance Commission’s 2016 Election Administration Voting Survey and through verbal accounts from various county agencies show 11 California counties have more registered voters than voting-age citizens: Imperial (102%), Lassen (102%), Los Angeles (112%), Monterey (104%), San Diego (138%), San Francisco (114%), San Mateo (111%), Santa Cruz (109%), Solano (111%), Stanislaus (102%), and Yolo (110%).

Child miners aged four living a hell on Earth so YOU can drive an electric car
The Daily Mail
And it’s feared that thousands more children could be about to be dragged into this hellish daily existence – after the historic pledge made by Britain to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2040 and switch to electric vehicles.

Scientists call out New York Times for incorrect claim about climate report
FOX News
But those who worked on the report are pushing back against the claims, saying the version that was obtained and posted in full by the New York Times has actually been online and available to the public for months.

Archaeologists may have found lost city of Jesus’ apostles
New York Post
Last month, archaeologists from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College in Israel and Nyack College in New York completed excavations at el-Araj on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. El-Araj has long been considered a possible location of ancient Julias, which was also known as Bethsaida.

AND FINALLY…

American rock and country music singer, musician, songwriter, television host and actor, Glen Campbell, passed away yesterday at the age of 81 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Rest in peace, Mr. Campbell. Thanks for the years of music.


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Verse of the Day selection provided by BibleGateway.com

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