Well. I guess I was on a break.

I am still in the same house, with the same husband, kid, dog, and cat. I suppose I am the same person, five years on from my last post here. The world within my walls hasn’t changed much, but outside?…

Why post again now?

I’m starting again because I miss it, and I have no excuse to not. It’s not like I don’t have the time.

Social media, which requires less effort and introspection, has taken more of my time than writing ever did. I will no longer measure out my life in tweets. Or shares or likes.

I never intended to stop writing, but the longer the gap between posts, the more daunting it became to resume, and the more I felt the need to explain and justify the absence. (Never mind that only approximately three potential readers might have noticed.) In the words of one of those readers, a very smart friend, “Inertia is a very powerful force.”

Time will pass, regardless of what we do and do not do. Time will pass, whether we can tell or not, when the end of December feels very much like the end of March with slightly less daylight. Time will pass, and with luck, I will be 65, instead of 55 when I first began this. With more luck, I’ll be 75 someday too.

What will I do with the time? As much as I can. And a little bit of writing about it.

The challenge is to be less self-conscious, less glib and less coy. The challenge is to limit self-censorship, to fear fewer topics, and to engage in deeper thinking. The challenge is to be mindful, to experiment, and to ultimately develop a practice. The challenge is too have something to look back on when 2022 rolls around.

Challenge accepted.