Inside My Blogger Brain

A while back a friend came up to me after church to tell me how much she likes my blog. Nice. Then she asked, “Where do you get all your ideas?” She’d just read my post about porches on my old blog here and loved it. I don’t even remember what I said, but basically I have two answers – the long one and the short one. Most people want the short which is, “from life.” Most people nod and chuckle and the conversation goes on to other things like what’s for dinner, the weather, or some spectacular news story, you know, the outrage of the day.

In light of that I wonder if you’d like a peek inside my head – the idea churn. Because I really do get my ideas from simply living yet there are little bits that only hang around for a nano second or two and never see the light of day. For instance . . .

When our small computer shop was housed in an old bank building it was my job, apart from bookkeeping, to keep the place clean. One day the window behind my desk was looking nasty and I decided to give it a good cleaning. The dang thing was nearly floor to ceiling with an outside storm window that popped out. Well when I attempted to pop it out it sure did – right onto the sidewalk outside. Crash! Glass all the heck over the place. I watched it in slow mo and felt like yelling “Oh, no, Mr. Bill!” Loved that show. Anyhow, we’re working out of the house now. I’m real careful with the windows.

I have a perfect scene in my mind of our granddaughter, Lillie, from a few summers ago when we visited her and her sister and dad out in Washington. She loves to run. As I paused on the front porch she began to chase a butterfly and her waist length blond hair billowed out behind her. It shone in the bright sunlight and it was a moment of enchanting beauty like you’d see in a fairy tale. I stood there transfixed as she disappeared behind a huge bush.

Every once in a while, after a particularly heinous event occurs somewhere, I’m tempted to go on a tear about it. I have views. I've expressed some of those views and beliefs in hostile environments. I always felt kind of brave doing it but I don’t want my blog to be about any of that however many more readers it may draw. Or not.

A most beautiful story of forgiveness was shared with me at a women’s retreat this year. We sat together waiting to be let into the lunch room (wonderful food!) and the subject of judging others came up. This woman is in her 80’s and when she was a young wife and mother her husband left her for a neighbor. A tough time in her life. But then her ex left the neighbor. Instead of feeling gleeful at this turn of events my friend forgave the neighbor saying, “You've suffered enough.” She held out empathy and forgiveness for a former rival. Now they’re friends. Awesome!

These are a sampling of what rattles around in my brain on any given day. Little pictures, moments of revelation – good stuff – but not in themselves worthy of a whole blog post. However, lumped together, I hope they made for a nice, light read.

Bless you dear reader!

Image: Stuart Miles                                                                      Free Digital Photos