Where Am I Going With This?

I’m not sure but I’d love to have you along

Three days ago I had never heard of Substack, but while doing my all-too-consuming scroll through Facebook over the weekend, I came across this post from longtime journalist Timothy Noah, a guy with far deeper and more impressive journalistic chops than mine. Even though he’s dipping his toes, and words, into this platform with a mix of hope and hard-won cynicism, I’ve decided to follow him.

I’ve read Tim’s writing for years, and respect the hell out of his intellect, particularly as an economics/labor/progressive policy truthsayer. So I’m gonna see what he has to say in this forum. There will be many other fellow writers I discover here, and will no doubt follow. Perhaps some will end up following me.

That’s a tall order give I’m a virtual nobody outside of the golf and travel realms, where I’ve dwelled for more than two decades, but I hope to prove myself more than a one-trick scribe. As with all of us living in what can only be described as tumultuous times, I have a lot on my mind and heart. Some might even be worth sharing. With you.

I come here as an eager participant in and explorer of the human condition. Sometimes my wanderings will indeed find me on the golf course, take me back to a place I’ve visited and hope to visit again in some distant post-pandemic scenario, or lead me into the pages of a favorite book, or into the grooves (or digital equivalent) of music I’ve loved forever or since yesterday – or into the kitchen, where my passion for food finds purchase, and promise, via our pantry. Perhaps I’ll even knock out a few paragraphs that pinpoint my love for alliteration.

I’ll write of family and friends, failure and triumph, faith and fear. I’ll rant on politics (sorry, but it’s part of who I am), and, just as passionately, rave on the many instances of good I manage to spy through the murk of gloom and doom. As a California native and Nevadan since 1984, I’ll wax enthusiastic on my beloved American West and the people in it, and, when deserved, give it, and them, a hard time.

To prime the pump, I’ve imported old blogs from a previous site, dating back nearly a decade, and ending in January 2017. A lot of political stuff, so read or ignore according to your interest or comfort level. This new endeavor will reflect many more and different corners of my consciousness.

I’m shooting to put up fresh stuff a couple times a week. When I get my bearings I’ll dial in a regular, count-on-it schedule. My eventual goal is to put it behind a modest paywall, because I believe good writing is worth paying for. I’d like it to become my lead gig because, well, traditional journalism jobs are going the way of the dodo.

In sum, I have no clue where I’m going, but I’d love to have you along for the ride.