Many years ago, in my life as Editor of a small town newspaper, I wrote a column called “Off the Cuff”. It literally was, as I usually wrote them the night before we went to press (driving the typesetters to the brink). I didn’t want to limit myself to a specific theme, or type of column I wrote, and the same is true for this…my first blog.
Rather than do a blog about gratitude, life lessons, recipes, parenting, friendship, hardship, pets, menopause, politics or a multitude of other choices, I want the freedom to write about whatever pops into my head…relevant to my life, and perhaps yours, at that moment in time.
During my working life I have always considered myself a generalist, trying and succeeding at many different careers, with a few failures tossed in along the way, which helped make the successes so sweet…and it is the same in my writing. I don’t want to be pigeonholed or boxed in. While it would be wonderful, and please me greatly, to have each of you find something you can relate to, learn from, laugh at, or motivate you, I will tell you now: I write for myself. If you don’t agree with what I write, want to debate, correct, or cheer me on, I would certainly welcome it.
Writing a blog certainly leaves one vulnerable. I have thought about this for a long time, and wasn’t sure I wanted to open myself up in this way. Even my closest friends and family who think they know me so well may find a few surprises as this ‘experiment’ unfolds. I even thought of using a pseudonym….just in case I ever wanted to write ‘legitimately’ again one day…as in author “The Great Canadian Novel” we writers all know exists inside us.
Now that you know where the name of my blog comes from, I hope you’ll enjoy my musings.
offthecuffbyplnear 