Coming January 8th!

On the 8th of January, I'll begin the countdown to my 50th birthday.  Truly, it's no mid-life crisis.  I experienced that (the physical and emotional struggles) since five years ago when my father died.  No, I look at 50 as a completely new set of opportunities.  One of those opportunities is this blog.  It's a new arena for me...all of this electronic socialization.  My group of close friends with whom I often detail a few of my life's thoughts and actions has always been (and will continue to be) small and intimate, but as a teacher I feel I have acquired a relationship with many people with whom I would count myself a friend.  In part, this set of ramblings is for them as both a promise fulfilled and a challenge for them to learn even more about the absolute wonder of language and how we communicate and express with it. Yet, I not here as a lecturer...God, forbid those who've been in my class need less of that...no, I'm hoping to clarify.  Reaching the age of 50 soon, I make no claim as to having either the capacity or knowledge of prophecy or of perfect experience (I am not the role model), but I've learned that the shared experiences of human life, though seemingly insignificant to most, yield beautiful moments that remind us of who we are and what matters.  Humbly I offer a few of mine and look forward hearing of yours.