Rear View Mirror

I came here with an express purpose; to write about my past.

I had done this before over the years; sometimes in journals written in cursive with an old-school ink fountain pen. I used Microsoft “Word”, storing them all on the family computer. On a more superficial level, my early posts were in Xanga (remember that one?) Today, I share quite a bit on Facebook, but nothing too serious. I travel with my laptop, or a simple marble composition book to record my thoughts and experiences.

Most of these writings are accessible, to family, friends, or even the general public.

So why Word Press, and why now ?

It started with a piece composed for a dear childhood friend, and it was lovely. I noticed the tag line “@WordPress.com”. I did a little exploring and thought it looked like a great community of writers; one that I wanted to join. This looked like so much more fun than the professional writing I had done for a living. And it is.

This all happened shortly after I lost my youngest sister to a battle with M.S. In our grief, my daughter assembled a photographic tribute to her, and I embarked on an ancestry research project. A reminder of the brevity of life will sometimes motivate these pursuits.

I wanted my children to know more about my birth family, both the good and the bad. They were young adults now, and were experiencing issues that went back several generations. I shared lovely old photographs, as well as their stories, or at least what I had been told.

This forced me into that rear-view mirror, and I’ve been stuck there ever since. I’m okay with that; the words flow very freely and it has been therapeutic on a most personal level.

I love that Word Press has allowed me to share some of that family drama. It has further helped me to see how very much alike we all are. There is no experience that is new under the sun.

My rear view. Always a lesson in there somewhere.

And maybe, just maybe, some of our words and experiences, our struggle for fulfillment and survival in this challenging world, will help someone else walking a similar path. At the very least, it will let them know they are not alone, and that there is always hope.

When I get all this “stuff” out, I will move on to that which is more fun, and more creative, which was always my goal. But for now, back to that rear view.