i don't know where i left my name

Hello everyone, I know I've been away for a while, and for that I apologize, but I'll try and be back as soon as possible. I already have some stuff lined up, and underway, but I had to post this first due to a passing of a person that was dear to me. It was a neighbour and friend of the family, a woman that took care of me for countless times when I was little.

So, today's post will be straight to the point. This is my small eulogy for her.

Some weeks ago I read an entertaining post on Wil Wheaton’s¹ blog, and the way he closed it up, with a definite "This is how I know I'm a writer", left me pondering...

Hum... What about me? Am I... a writer? Do I have what it takes in me?

How do I... how do I know? How can I find out?

That sentence hit a soft spot, as in those purpose-seeking moments, I often question myself if this writing thing isn't really much more than a simple case of hobby infatuation.

...and to be accurate the "some weeks ago" bit has turned, in reality, into a "about a month ago", as it effectively took me a couple of eternities to finish this post, mostly due to a myriad of kitchen-related problems that just seem dead set on not fading away...

Following up on my little detour about teaching, I recalled an article I read on digg a few months ago (so we're hardly talking news here).

Digg note: it occasionally (not that often, unfortunately) throws some precious little gems - like this one - at its readers.

(and that almost makes up for the patience you need to skim over all the rest!...)

What started as a saddening story about a dying man, ended up as an inspiring journey through a well lived life of a man who achieved his childhood dreams.

How many of us will truly be able to say the same when our time comes?

It was heartening... captivating... humorous... It deserved to be shared.

I hope everyone has had a merry Christmas, with lots of love, gifts and sweets!

Of those, mine had mostly sweets... - at least that part hasn't changed considerably over the years, which, in a way, is a good sign on its own.

The gifts... those don't come around that much anymore, as the age-of-the-gifts is long gone....

And love... well... Christmas isn't what it used to be, is it?
The vacant moments, the complete antithesis of what this season should mean, seem, as time passes, ever more present, and I also found quite a good share of them this year.

But all in all, it wasn't that bad.

And now, after this little seasonal service announcement, I'll head on to where I've left off... decisions, decisions!

I believe this post should be seen as a retroactive piece of writing.

Huh? Wha?! What?

Now, now, please relax! Here, take a deep breath and in return give me some benefit of the doubt. Fair trade, eh? Thanks!
There is (in my head, at least) a perfectly sane reason to put it that way!

You see, if my previous post was the beginning of the story, Chapter One, so to say, then this might as well be its preface... it just lost the train and is arriving a tad late.

Starting a story is never an easy thing to do.

Granted, you can always take the quick way out on that one: just pick the traditional (tried and tested!) path of the fairy-tale stories, and go head-in with the "Once upon a time" approach... never looking back!

But you see, that, is where the problem kicks in for me. Why? Because I do look back.