Mark Twain once wrote that if you wanted to inflict a burdensome punishment on a young man, ask him to keep a journal.
I feel that way often when I sit to blog. In the beginning it was fun but now I have to force myself to write.
Why? Because I am a lazy galoot, that’s why.
Also, my life is no longer interesting. It’s hard to come up with a good blog when all you do is show up for work in the morning and go home to listen to John Fugelsang at night.
(He is a comedian with a political talk show on Sirius XM. He can be funny and thought-provoking, even if, as is the curse of most comedians, he has to recycle jokes repeatedly. Yet I find myself listening for the full three hours of his show, after which nothing can be done with my life.)
There was a time in my life that things were exciting. Lots of writing novels, lots of crazy things with girlfriends and ex-wives, lots of adventures with my son.
Now my son is 30 years old, has two kids of his own, and is properly launched in life–mostly due to his own efforts. Women? Bah. I’ve quit the whole romance thing as being a sham and an annoyance. Novels? Well, Nanowrimo is coming up next month and I’m not sure I’ll participate this year. First time since 2003 I will have passed it by.
Maybe it’s because I’m going to be 67 years old next month. Let’s face it, the thrill is gone.
Sigh.
But I know myself well enough to know that, as Mr. Micawber said in David Copperfield, something will turn up.
Or as I used to say, every time I think I’m tired of life and get ready to check out, someone does something to piss me off and gives me a whole new reason to live.
I’m waiting. And YOu’ll hear about it in this blog.
Mark Bruce, Writer 
Stop thinking like a writer. You mentioned Ray Bradbury once. Remember the story that ended with envy of the children who didn’t realize that they would grow old and die…but simply lived their lives fully in the moment? … I have always been a better positive critic than a writer myself. I never lost my faith in you…as a writer. And you proved me right.
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Well, I pretty much have to get back into writing after a comment like that. It would devastate me to let you down, my friend.
As it turns out, I’ve decided to do Nanowrimo again this year. I’m writing a non-mystery novel, “The Return of Edsel Eddie,” about a Rockabilly band which is seduced into reforming 20 years after their not-so-glorious heyday by a greedy record company. Comic complications ensue.
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Congratulations on your new website! It’s nifty looking. Somehow I dropped off your blog, so I’ll sign up again. I wish you every writerly success in the new year.
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