Indeed he did… this is post from my daughter’s Instagram account a few hours ago. from Zilker Park, from the place I left a year ago today and started the most incredible journey of my life. It hasn’t stopped, by the way. Several friends that sent me off a year ago, a few others and I, had a nice quiet afternoon in the park, celebrating the year, and just talking about what has happened since that awesome day in 2019, when everything looked and felt differently than it does today.
I’ve been thinking about this, a lot, and though I’ve tried in the past few months to give this blog some continuity, I really didn’t feel like writing anything, I’ll explain later. But today marks a milestone, and it is my intention to follow through, regardless of whether I want to write or not write. There is a lot left to be said.
A couple of weeks ago I read the story of Day One! (https://www.walktothepark.com/day-one) It was indeed overwhelming, and part of me marvels at the fact that one, I wrote it, and two, I had actually done what I wrote about. It is the only story I have written that I have actually read, with one exception - I read the story about Virginia to my mom last summer, because it was about her, but otherwise, I have not read any other posts from the journey I started a year ago today. I have looked at some of the pictures as they fill my screen background, and I have talked and answered questions asked, but today, I feel there is much more to say, My intent is to now read my (almost) daily posts along my walk and reply - fill in the blanks, explain the reasons, dive a little deeper into the events and the thoughts that made this journey so incredibly cool.
I don’t plan on reminiscing about my walk, Instead, I want to fill in the blanks, tell the stories I couldn’t have at the time, expand on what I was thinking and feeling, talk about the friends I met along the way, and the lessons that somehow got me here today. It has been a challenge coming home, and it has further been exacerbated by the situation we are living today, as a country and as a planet. I will try to limit words on that subject, though it certainly is important, but everyone is writing about that, and it is not altogether positive. Instead, I expect to write about the incredible goodness I saw along my walk to the park.
When I first started writing, there were two subjects I consciously avoided. One is politics, for in today’s day and age, it is horribly divisive and cause for way too much conflict. The second is religion, for I feel it is a very personal decision which belongs only to the man or woman who holds it. As I want mine respected, I respect others, and I’m not going to tread on someone else’s religious or spiritual beliefs, ever. I’ll try to do my best on the politics piece, bite my tongue as they say, but there are no guarantees. Suffice to say now, I am appalled.
As you may know by now, this is all “top of mind” - I think about something, I write about it. I post it, and am fortunate to have a spectacular proofreader, also my dearest friend for over 50 years. A couple of hours after I post, I get all his little red-lines and comments, sometimes adhere to the suggestions, and that is it- I have’t gone back to any of the post, except the two I mentioned. But I’m very much looking forward to doing so, and I’ll keep you posted, pardoning the pun :-) I have no idea how I’ll react, but you’ll certainly know about it.