8:09am, in my office, Phoenix, Arizona, Wednesday morning, December 22, 2021, three days until Christmas. No one knows I am a writer. I internally identify as a writer, I have for almost twenty years, but no one knows I write or have this blog. Why do I keep the most valuable parts of me hidden?
Month: December 2021
Holiday Plans Update
1:57pm, in my office, Phoenix, Arizona, Tuesday afternoon, December 21, 2021, listening to Christmas music. This morning my mom flew into Phoenix from Salt Lake City. I picked her up at the airport and took her grocery shopping before coming to the office. She will be here until next Tuesday. We will go to Orange County on Friday and come back on Sunday. My wife and daughter are coming to Phoenix on Sunday as well so I am excited. We have a lot of activities planned and my daughter has a new video game she wants help with. It will be a good end to 2021.
Haunted
11:40am, in my office, Phoenix, Arizona, Monday morning, December 20, 2021. Trapped in my office, frustration does not abate. I used to find solace dreaming of carefree summer days. Now, idle time haunts me more aggressively than the pointless work I despise.
A Dark Cloud of Emptiness
7:08am, in my apartment, Chandler, Arizona, Sunday morning, December 19, 2021. A dark cloud of emptiness resides in every soul. This cloud causes you to feel sad and alone. You ask, “Why is this cloud here? Where did it come from? How do I get rid of it?” To which there will be no answer. So you dream, scheme, move, change, grow, conquer, rise, fall, love and lose, all trying to eradicate the intruder. But no matter what, you won’t succeed. For life is defined by two things; the adventure you have trying to defeat the cloud, and the nobility you show realizing you never can.
Bitter pain of wrenching loss
7:08am, my apartment in Chandler, Arizona, Saturday morning, December 18, 2021. The road curved and flattened before undulating down. Was this the right path? Had I missed a turn? It seemed familiar, yet so much time had passed I couldn’t be sure. Then instantly, as if right on cue, the meadow opened before me. Sunlight washed over tall yellow flowers, the jagged mountains rose to meet the clouds and there, off in the distance, was the tiny house we called home. Bitter pain of wrenching loss, ridiculous hope for an impossible reunion and the always tortuous memories surrounded me. And in that moment I could not help but ask the question I knew would never be answered, “How did something so beautiful ever end?”
Proud
6:53pm, in my apartment, Chandler, Arizona, Friday night, December 17, 2021. Maybe it is weird to say this but, I am proud of the last post I wrote. Writing an informative article was something new for me and it turned out well. I will write in that style again.
The 3 (really 6) Levels of Beginner Blog Success
Congratulations , you started writing a blog, now you are probably wondering how to make it successful. According to techjury.net, 7.5 million blog posts are created every day, so you are not alone! Perhaps you write for fun or maybe you want to get serious, either way, if you want to know what the levels of beginner blog success look like, the following 3 (really 6) levels provide a road map to track your progress 1. Your first posts. You started your blog and have written a couple posts. Perhaps you did this to work through feelings or share your thoughts on a particular subject. This is a great first step. Creating a blog and putting your name on it is a success in itself and something to celebrate 2. Improving your style. For some people starting a blog and writing one or two posts is enough. They forget about it and move on. Others, like yourself, stick with it and begin to write regularly. After enough time you have a body of work. At that point you can look back and see what you liked and didn’t like about your writing. Maybe you want to try a different style, or adopt other formats. Either way, making the effort to improve your writing is a meaningful personal achievement and another sign of success 3. Validation. After you have written regularly and improved your style you want other people to read it. That is validation. There are four levels to validation; views, likes, follows and shares. Let’s break each of these down. 3a. Your first view. People probably see your posts before you realize it. You can check your WordPress Dashboard to find out how many views you have had. While this can be validating it can also be frustrating if you don’t get as many views as you’d like. Don’t get discouraged, keep writing. If you remain consistent a larger audience will find you naturally 3b. Your first like. There is nothing more exciting than the first time someone likes your post. You have worked hard and expended energy to write something good. Now a reader appreciates what you wrote and acknowledges it. This is important, you have reached a great success! Enjoy the feeling of pride from getting your first like 3c. Your first follow. Once you get one like they will start to come in bunches. Before long someone will start to follow your blog. That means they will be notified every time you post something new. While this can be intimidating it is also exhilarating. Someone likes your writing so much they want to know when you post! 3D. Your first share. This is the final step of beginner blog success and it is a big one. Even though it is still in the validation camp it is a level all its own. Someone likes your post so much they share it. You go through a transformation after your first share. People share a blog post because they see what you write as having value, something they don’t mind having their name associated with. To them you are a trusted authority and a good writer. And just like that, you have reached the pinnacle of beginner success! So there you have it, the 3 (really 6) levels of beginner blogging success. Start writing, keep improving, find your audience and be proud of what you do. Keep up the good work and enjoy the process of becoming a successful blogger.
Ice scrapper
7:25am, in my truck, Chandler, Arizona, Friday morning, December 17, 2021. I didn’t know I needed an ice scrapper living in Arizona.


The 5 Commandments of a good blog post
The 5 Commandments of a good blog post: 1. Don’t pander 2. Keep it short 3. Have a point 4. Develop context 5. Entertain yourself
Finally
6:46pm, in my apartment, Chandler, Arizona, Thursday evening, December 16, 2021. Why was today so good? What made the morning start positive and how did it continue throughout the day? I have felt unfulfilled for so long it seemed interminable. I never want to feel that way again.