Why I'm Doing This

Kind of a Birth Announcement for my newest writing project.

For a month now, I’ve been writing alterdiurnally (my newly coined word for “every other day”), and posting it on this page I created. I kept it on the down-low because I wasn’t sure if the impulse to put myself out there every other day was a passing urge or something that deserves acknowledgment and space.

It feels like a confession, but I want to do this. I need to pay more attention to the good things in my world, and encourage others to notice as well.

For years, I wrote in a different spirit entirely. On Gone Mild, I spent a lot of time trying to influence the politics of our city, county, state and country. There’s still a huge need for that attention, especially locally, but I’m not going to be that guy anymore. I believed in that work, and I’m mostly glad I did it. I also know that stepping away from it is a kind of privilege.

That thought doesn’t sit entirely comfortably with me. There are still some real knuckleheads in our government at all levels, and the local ones get away with a lot of idiocy because nobody calls them out. I hope some younger person with swagger and guts steps into the spotlight and speaks their truth to both R and D power locally. They could have some genuine influence. But that’s not me.

Instead of focusing on what pisses me off, I want to share things that make me feel more human and more connected to what I feel is a positive energy that exists in the world. I’m still a confused agnostic, so I won’t get all woo-woo on you, but I don’t want to miss out on the good things, and I think that sharing them is worthwhile.

Poetry.
A good pen or mechanical pencil.
A better sentence.
Grandkids.
Art.
Lunches with friends.
The satisfaction of making dough and baking it.

That’s what I want to do every other day in this space.

By the way, I’m not trying to make money out of this. I’m not going to put anything behind a paywall. If I recommend something, I’m not going to get a referral bonus. This is a hobby. If you want to spend money, go spend it at a local business you love.

If you read something here and like it, you don’t have to do anything at all. Subscribing would be really cool.

If you’re feeling generous, you could leave a comment. I won’t pretend otherwise. I enjoy that more than I probably should. As a fellow Missourian once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment,” and I understand exactly what he meant.

I think the term these days is “thirsty”.

Or, if something strikes you as worth passing along, send it to someone who might appreciate it. That’s more than enough.

Mostly, I’m hoping to build a loose circle of people who care about some of the same things. Not in a heavy, organized, “community-building” way. Just a quiet recognition:

You noticed that too?

I’ve been doing this for a month now, and it’s time to admit it. Let’s have some fun with this!