Did You Miss Me?

Image: Freddy Castro via Unsplash

Well, I’m back, I think.

When last we met I told you I was contemplating abandoning this blog and perhaps focusing my writing over on my author page: Michael R. Fletcher VA.

That’s been my plan over the last month and a half. Until I officially retired this past weekend.

I’ve put too much time and effort into this blog just to let it go.

Truth is, there was just a lot going on in July. And I do mean a lot.

If you know, you know. If not, maybe I’ll put it in a book some day.

All that to say that Saturday morning, my last “official” day of employment. I started rethinking the writing

Morning Cup 9/3/2024

and the blog.

For a long time leading up to retirement and really to the last post in July, I was making plans for social media interaction, art projects, things to posts, things to sell, and it was causing not a small amount of stress.

I finally told myself “no, I don’t need to do that.”

I don’t need to figure out how to be an influencer, or a marketer, or an online coach, or any of that.

I just need to be me. I need to write. I need to create art.

If it catches on fire and makes me a bazillionaire, then great.

If not. I’ll be just fine.

And, for now anyway, I’ll be right here.

Well, maybe not every day.

All My Bags are Packed

Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash

But where do I go?

I wish I was writing a post about the next Old Man Bucket List Road Trip (™).

I wish I could tell you that I was off on the long-anticipated European river cruise.

Instead, this is a post about taking a break from the blog.

I’ve tried in the last few weeks to spruce things up around here. It’s taken a lot of time, and I question the rate of return.

The challenge (one of them) of being an agent-less writer, is that you have to do your own promotion.

I appreciate those of you who are loyal readers. But this pace is not sustainable.

Working on daily blog posts with or without the “extras” is taking me away from the next CAT and PIG book, and from the novel that I recently removed the digital dust from.

Perhaps, as I’ve said before, if this were my only job, I could keep this going.

I’ve taken breaks before. I’ve made triumphant returns before.

This time feels different.

With retirement rapidly approaching, I have to consider how I will spend my “free” time. I need to find the balance in between doing things for fun and doing things because there’s a purpose, or a return if you will.

I’m not giving up writing. It is quite possible that I am simply beginning the process of moving everything over to my author page. I’ll be taking the next month and a half to figure that out.

You know I’ll let you know when I do.

Carry on.