Unabashed

I didn’t even know I was incognito until I passed the sign that said “Cognito Dead Ahead.” I suppose you’ve noticed that I’ve kind of taken a break from the internet. I’ve gone into the woods and found out that I still like it there. I like the smell of earth, the taste of water, the sounds of crickets and birds, the trundling of a spring-fed, freezing-cold stream, and cool air flowing down a tree-covered mountain side in the dog days of summer. And what am I doing out there in the hinterland, all alone and sweating? I’m soul searching, a lot of the time. Good news on that front, too: I found it. It was deep down in a shadowy place, but it was there, and I managed to coerce it back up into a more well-lit area for the time being. I’ve made some minor adjustments in my life, as always working towards nirvana, and though I keep getting closer, and each time I crest a hill or mountain to see how much closer I’ve come, I see that there’s still a whole valley, desert and frozen tundra to cross. Dragons to slay, foes to vanquish, etc. But I guess I’m always that one step closer, right?

If you’re wondering what adjustments I’ve made, well: I’ve cancelled my premium livejournal membership, even though I get almost as many comments there as here, I just got tired of it. I cancelled my Rivals.com membership, too, because I can get plenty of football news from the local writers. I signed up for a Geocaching.com account to replace those two, and consider it $30 a year well spent. As for writing…well. There hasn’t been much writing, honestly. The stories are still there, but they don’t really want to come out, and I’m tired of trying to force them. I suppose in one respect I consider it an accomplishment having been published at all, even if it was in a genre rag and on a couple of web sites. I’ve written a book or three, dammit, and though they may never be published, they’re there for me to show, and it’s an accomplishment just to have written one, I’m told. What’s the future for Matt Mitchell’s fiction? Who knows. The stories are still there, probably festering, but if they don’t want to come out that’s fine. I’ll let them sit for a while. I’ve done the hiatus thing before, and if I’m really really serious about it I know there’s really no chance of me ever being a professional writer.

As for the blog you’re reading, I have no intention of shutting it down. I feel like I still have something to say, and at least a few folks are sticking around to hear it, so…I may write a bit more sporadically than I have in the past, but I’ll still be here, talking as usual about marvels and wonders, the environment, space and the occasional outdoorsy piece. As for reading other blogs…well, I’ve kind of let that lapse, too. Sorry. I’m coming back now. I’m trimming the fat and sticking to the blogs I like most. Steve, Ken, and Matt…you made the cut along with a few others, and I’ll try to catch back up with what I’ve missed.

Don’t get me wrong, now, I’m really not glum. I recently discovered that it’s possible that I’ve been glum for a while, but my wife assures me I’ve made a full recovery and new Matt is fun again. And there are still things to be excited about: my project, of course, still is plodding along. It’s still in development, but some of the proofs I’ve seen and some of the original artwork we’ve acquired is top notch, really beautiful stuff. You’ll see it all soon enough: September 8th, be prepared to sign up for a new social networking site that’s going to change the way social networking is done. Trust me, it’s different. It’s new. And it’s my little baby, my little brainchild. I still wonder if it’ll take off, naturally, which I suppose is a source of some stress these days. Let’s just say it’s not free to build a professional, original site from the ground up. Nor cheap. But even if it doesn’t, we’ll still eat and live and survive.

This heart to heart has been brought to you by New Matt ™, hoping to make all your tomorrows brighter.

:-)