If you gave me the keys to your diary, i'd probably read it.

I've had many conversations concerning blogging lately. Much of it centered around our friends who have blogs and what they write about. Gradually, the discussion started where my wife and I kept talking about whether or not we wanted to start our own blogs. For one reason or another, I've never been sure if blogging could (or will) be my cup of tea. My first defense has always been that I have nothing to say in terms of pontificating on the "blogosphere." Admittedly, I couldn't think of anything nice to say, either. (Didn't Thumper's father in the Bambi movie have something to say about those who couldn't say anything nice?) Now I'm also a person with opinions that cause tunnel vision. For a blogger, I have crafted a stereotype where this person has eloquent and witty sayings, always well-received by their followers - a category that I would not fit into. Furthermore, I imagine that bloggers would be susceptible to an addiction where they shed their love for the activities in the real world and become consumed with their online dissertations. I can guarantee that I won't be faithful to this blog.

Over time, my attitude toward blogging has changed. To be accurate, it is in a state of change. When I think about how people record their lives, I quickly realize that those who care to preserve the past have always employed various mediums for accomplishing that purpose. Of course, an oral tradition has always existed in some fashion, whereby the old tell their stories to the young, hoping that they in turn will keep a story alive. Additionally, people have, for thousands of years, kept written records of their lives and of history. Taking this in stride, I think that my approach to blogging now has now been reconditioned. A blog, is of course short for "web-log" -Simply a journal/record of sorts. Since I now find myself at an age where my childhood memories are blurring, I have a renewed desire to record my life - be it in stories, thought, or opinion.

My grandfather flew B-17 bombers in the second world war. He was one of the millions who signed up willingly to fight, wanting to serve his country and realizing that a draft was just around the corner. Luckily, he was wise and took it upon himself to write down his story about 15 years ago. I'll never forget when I opened that book and pored over the pages and pictures he'd included. In this rare opportunity, I had a chance to look through a "worded window" into my grandfather's life - a life that had started so many years before mine. As I read his account, I was also intrigued by the many journal entries he included therein and the sense of privilege felt while reading it. One day, he will no longer be here to tell that story and I'm thankful that he preserved his story in writing.

It's important to realize that blogging is tantamount to the journalizing that my grandfather did in the past. It is purely circumstantial that I can type faster than I can wield a pen. I also believe in taking advantage of our present day technology and contribution to the information age. Thus, I start this account as a journal of what I deem important or noteworthy, lest I forget in the future. If you've ever read/seen Harry Potter, you'll remember that Dumbledore's head was so full of memories that he sought to preserve them in vials. I don't have a wand to extract thoughts.... consequently, I store my "vials" on this page. I hope you might find it occasionally interesting as well.