The Original Post
Original Post:
I have no idea what I’m doing.
I want to be totally honest about this endeavor; I have many interests in diverse topics and I’m not much of a writer. Perhaps the following outline will provide, at least, some clarity to what you may find in this collection of posts and to help you participate in the conversation. Where we go with this site is still undetermined, but I can promise you it is intended to “encourage” participation if nothing else.
To establish a deadline or self-imposed target, I have set a launch date of January 1, 2010 for the site and you can expect a post every Saturday at the very least. Over time, I hope to build up to 3 – 5 posts a week but I would like to make each post worth reading so I will move slowly.
I will use the next few months to pre-populate the site with several miscellaneous topics that I want to get out of my system before I officially start and I want to provide a context for you to know this authors predisposition as well as get some practice playing with WordPress. The back dated “pre-posts” aren’t likely to live up to any quality standards I will ultimately strive for after launch, but they do provide a few interesting tidbits from the past.
Background:
It started years ago during a phase of my life when I had ample time on my hands recovering from an accident. As part of my own mental therapy I began documenting my thoughts (as jumbled as they were) and I spent hours every day with my favorite pastime – the internet. I read almost everything I could find on virtually every topic that surfaced throughout the day and I began to admire a few leading edge bloggers and other informational sites for the content they provided that wasn’t easily found otherwise. I was amazed at the number of real voids that existed in so many area’s of interest, but I was equally impressed with a world of information and social media that I did not know previously existed.
Pre-Post:
August 11, 2005 will forever remain a day of remembrance in my household. There are dozens of entries surrounding the accident, the injuries, the handicaps, the anger, the fears, the depressions, etc. It impacted the entire family in so many ways, but I hope it can be viewed as a positive watershed event for all. I have deliberately left several of the pre-posts in the original words of notes during the time. While they may seem awkwardly worded (even more than normal), they capture my state of mind and properly reflect the difficulty of this period.
I have also taken this pre-posting period of time to populate the site with multiple memories that I found worthy of memorializing and sharing with those who might find them interesting. Feel free to comment or ask questions.
Topics likely to be submitted to start the conversation: I freely admit that there are several topics of personal interests that are likely to dominate my early direction with this online conversation.
Transformations:
One obvious “area of interest” for ongoing posts will likely center on the act of recovering, transforming and transitioning. What a fabulous ride it can be. Physical, emotional, professional, spiritual and individual setbacks are difficult and painful. Yet they can be a great source of inspiration and hope for others, if we allow them. I am blessed with the experiences of my life thus far and the good fortune to share a few tales of transitions of my own.
Value Propositions:
Ok…this is just a manly definition of shopping. I am a shop-aholic without apology. I don’t always get the cheapest price, but it’s likely by my own choice. I am drawn to the pursuit of finding, quantifying and evaluating a good deal. This is not just with purchases, though. The process of placing value on everything that we pursue, own or surround ourselves with is the essence of proper decision making. Defining our own brand by way of association if not directly through our acquisitions is inevitable. Therefore it is important to define what we value and prioritize them over time.
Teachable Point of View:
I am a schoolmarm at heart. I genuinely love the role of mentoring and teaching those that seek the assistance. I have found nothing more rewarding individually or professionally. I will continue to expound on my own PoV as it evolves over time and new situations avail themselves.
Futuring:
Perhaps my single most time consuming personal hobby is the study of futuring methodologies. An active reader and member of the World Future Society, I have drafted my kids (at least a little bit) in the pursuit of envisioning future scenarios and the potential influence our decisions (or lack thereof) may have in those futures.
As you can see, my eclectic interests and experiences have little in common. Should someone join in this conversation, I would be elated.
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PS: I am also likely to include several post related to the terrific “water cooler” conversation I call Corporate Culture Chronicles. I can’t help but spend a large portion of my energy (after 25 years with Ford Motor Company) reflecting on the intricacies, frustrations and outright humor of corporate culture. I refuse to ever name names, degrade my employer or disparage prior supervisors or colleagues. However, for those of us with large corporate structures (or who work with people who think they are) there is simply too much fodder to avoid.
I have NO interest in monetizing this blog. This, too, deserves its own post. If I ever change my mind or direction (ie Amazon associates, link to Global Niches, Google ads, etc) I will fully disclose it at that time.
