Why Am I Writing

Looking through an arch at Arches National Park in Utah, Photo by james

I wanted to have a website for a long time, but the question of why kept me from getting started.

I want to sound all noble and say it’s not for the money, and it really isn’t. This site is free. I will probably put a donation button on at some point, but that isn’t my main motive.

Even so, any artist or writer wants to make some money or to get some validation from readers. It’s just human nature to want to get some positive responses. With the internet, everyone and their dog can be a writer and publish their work. It looks easy after all, but like I’ve said before, there are better and easier ways to make money than writing - or doing any art.

In the sea of millions of voices, what is one more? You can take that as good or bad. One more isn’t going to hurt, but it’s harder to get noticed in the sea of information that is on the internet.

Another angle is ego. Do I have something worthwhile to say?

I think I do have enough ego to say yes to that. It’s up to you, dear reader, to determine if it has value or not.

I am not offering answers. What I hope to do in inspire people to think about things, and maybe we can have some discussions on the things I write about here.

It is just putting my work out there. The site gives me a place to put what I write, and that gives me motivation to write more.

A third angle is exploring the world, both the world that exists out there, and my inner world.

I’m putting it out there. I’m inviting you into my world, and to ride along the journey.

I hope to post a short piece here every day, or almost every day.

I’ll try to figure out how to compile a mailing list, and you will be able to sign up and get it sent to your email when I do this, or when I post a new story.

So let’s see what happen, eh?

Living well in the gray

One thing that bothers me is black-and-white thinking. The idea that things are either-or, or that there is only one cause of everything.

Simplistic thinking is easy and comfortable, but it doesn't solve problems and isn't correct.

This site is going to contain a lot of my writing, and a lot of that will be about my internal life.

A big part of this website is my search for truth and well-being.

A lot of well-being is mental health.

There’s lots of simplistic thinking and easy advice out there - and some even question whether mental health is even a thing. Most of the simplistic nonsense you hear is just that - nonsense.

I am not going to be giving you any simple answers. It is very complex, and even when you think you have something figured out, you can change one variable and the whole house of cards crashes.

This is my journey.

I don’t have it figured out and that’s ok.

An old song says:

Don’t ask me for answers

I’ve only got one

That a man leaves his darkness

When he follows the son.