The Reluctant Blogger

My cat channeling my state of condition.

    A picture of a cat, on a blog that is not about cats. Okay, so what is going on here? Actually, it is quite simple: I am a writer, and I have recently published a book that is struggling to get sales traction or attention from so-called influencers, like the media or reviewers.

   "Well, maybe it is because your book sucks!" some may retort, or something equally sympathetic.
    To a harsh comment like that, I would reply, "That is a possibility, but hard to justify if no one is aware of it. Bookstores will not stock it due to unforeseen distribution issues, and no one will review it because the publisher is relatively unknown, and the author is completely unknown."

    "Write a blog!  Get your writing and presence out there!" is what the 'experts' on the internet have advised, and so has my publisher.

    There you have it!  A blog by a reluctant blogger. Why would a person want to broadcast their thoughts and feelings to all to see?  Most folks could care less, and would rather not be bothered about what someone else thinks or does. To this, I agree. Yet I find myself in this uncomfortable position where in order to move to another level in my career, I must do something my whole upbringing has instilled in me as not quite the 'proper' way to conduct oneself in the public arena.  

    Maybe I am over-thinking it. Maybe not.  A person has to be comfortable and true to themselves, as well as true to their own values. There is also the fear that I have nothing meaningful to share.   Ah, yes!  The rarely acknowledged aspect of life called fear.  Adults tend not to admit such a feeling exists in their life - and if we do, we certainly do not admit it to others!  Once I admit to myself that I am experiencing a modest amount of fear about some new endeavor, it can spiral out into many directions, thus magnifying itself and paralyzing me into inaction.  This is one of the reasons therapists stay in business - but I am too cheap and stoic to have a therapist.

    So what do I do?  Check my gut feeling.  Is what I am about to do wrong?  Will it harm me, or other people?  Or is it simply fear of change, or the unknown?   Truth be known, my recent book discussed many of these very same themes, and how they turned out to be nothing.  I guess I am not cured yet, of my human condition.

    I should be more like my cat.  In the photo above, he is quite comfortable doing absolutely nothing, and it is obvious he has no 'issues' bothering him at all.  He definitely is not over-thinking things, and he is certainly being true to himself!  Being a cat, he will be up and about in a while, and life will be good.

So, what will this blog be about?

    Observations and experiences, from my own warped perspective.   Hopefully readers will enjoy my musings and be able to relate to them.  I will also try to share items of interest so others may be informed, or be able to go out and engage with things they may not have known about, or have forgotten.  We will be on this journey together.  Please join a reluctant blogger, as we share this thing called life.  And, by the way, cats may come up rather frequently - so fair warning!

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