The Hardest Parts

Just think, it all started a few days before my eighty-fifth birthday. Now, it’s a little over two years and over a hundred and fifty essays later! And, of course, I’m working on the next hundred. And, as I have told you before, each word is still hand printed on one of my trusty steno-pads before being typed into Word by my trusty one finger. Today I was told to put my feeling of this blog thing into words. That is how the title of this blog came into my mind. When I started to write this essay, the title word “Part” had no s after it. As I started putting this essay together I realized how necessary that last s was. My blog’s “first hardest part” was the day I was told to start a blog. You may remember, I had no idea what a blog was, having never seen one before. So, I had to learn! The “next hardest part” was figuring out what to call the thing. I did not want those readers to have the impression that it was going to be a know it all blog. My “third hardest thing” came when I had to come up with a description. How do I describe something that I had never done before? About that time I felt I had things all wrapped up. Then “hardest number four” smacked me between the eyes! I had my blog all ready to go, but nothing for it to say! That was the day I ask My Friend what I was to write in my blog. The day I was told to put my pen to the paper and start to write! I thought; what help that was? I had no writing experience, what could I do? So, I did as I was told, I put the pen to the paper and started to write! When I stopped writing I typed it into Word. I found my printing had translated into a page and a half which looked about right to me. I failed to mention, as I’m sure many of you know, but I didn’t, that to put things into Word you first have to choose your font and its size. That didn’t prove difficult enough for me to list it as a “hardest part,” but having to learn how to us Word certainly was. I had many never done before decisions to make while learning to publish my blog. Decisions like deciding how long I wanted each essay to be. After looking at the first one, I decided five to six hundred words was about right. I never liked long orations. I think I possibly give “the hardest part number six” to trying to decide what to call what I do. Although someone suggested “words of wisdom” that sounded a bit conceited to me. I’ve decided essays are my best description, because they are just my thoughts as they come into my head. It amazes me each time I think how much I sweat, just trying to come up with that first page and a half of words, for that first essay. Today I find pages of notes for more essays. My old English teacher would be proud of me today. I’m sure she felt that I had learned nothing. But, many decades later I’m finding many of her teachings, yes, the ones I thought so boring at the time, have come back to help me today. You may wonder why I continue to publish these essays today, it’s because of a man in Africa, readers in Canada, England, France, Norway, and Brazil, and that couple in Taiwan! I hope it starts you thinking. It sure does me. I’m sure I have all those “hardest parts” under control and it will be a breeze from now on! One more thing; please don’t tell me that you are too old to learn!