Welcome to 2023

That’s the first time I’ve written it out: 2-0-2-3.

Feels weird, I must say. But it’s exciting. Not because of any built-up excitement about this particular year, but just because I love the promise of a new one.

In the model of the worst procrastinators, I’m guilty of waiting for timing to be “just right” before getting to it. Even though I could have just jumped back into online writing, I haven’t. I’ve been waiting, looking for some perfect combination of circumstances that I can’t really identify except that I just knew that Jan. 1 has all of them.

So, here I am. Writing. Nothing profound, but a first step. I want to be more purposeful about it, and now that my actual day job requires much less actual writing from me, I don’t have an excuse that I’ll scratch this particular itch elsewhere. All of my New Year’s resolutions are centered around writing, but for the sake of simplicity and not falling into the trap of waiting for things to be just right, the goal is most succinctly and plainly stated thusly: Write.

While this doesn’t mean much in terms of thoughtful content, it’s a statement to myself: I just landed in Memphis after more than ten days out West, first in Salt Lake City and then Seattle. I’ve been traveling all day, and I’m now writing from a hotel room, achy from a day spent in the middle seat of long flights. It would be easy not to write; it would be easy to go to bed. It will likewise be easy to sleep in tomorrow morning and yet again put off writing. I’m hoping that I can rise to the occasion yet again, start strong, and keep that momentum going.

Who knows if I will, but this is my earnest effort to start somewhere. I haven’t made use of this site, and I hope to change that going forward.