The Trail Home

Before I really get into this story, allow me to step out of the narrative for a moment. This is my first attempt at “blogging,” and I still find the noun form of the word a little goofy, let alone the verb. So how exactly does this everywhere-and-nowhere, plugged-in, zoomed-out communication tool fit into my scheme to get local and natural and low-tech? Why put my daily occupations, obligations, and observations out there for the whole world to read? Hmmm. Well, every morning Garrison Keillor signs off the Writer’s Almanac with the words, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” That pretty nicely sums up my rationale, not necessarily in that order.

1. Be well. Keeping a journal always tops my list of personal goals. A journal is valuable, as a record of my days and also as a tool for thinking and writing more effectively. But I’m always falling behind, no matter how many times I resolve to do better. Here’s a tool that will make it convenient – and fun – to write regular entries. So I can stop feeling bad about not journaling and instead put that energy toward doing it. And I can accomplish another goal at the same time . . .
2. Keep in touch. My friends are scattered far and wide. As much as I love real, handwritten, stamped-and-mailed letters, it’s simply not realistic to keep up that way on a regular basis. Even email isn't realistic, unless I ruthlessly pare down the list of folks with whom I want to maintain ties. Voila! Along comes this thing called a blog, and I can write as eloquently as I’m able just one time and anybody who cares to check in can read it. And if nobody does? No worries, it’s still a way to . . .
3. Do good work. My hunch is that finding and celebrating a home place is indeed good work, both for me personally and for the state of the world. And journaling, in any form, is a tool for paying closer attention to what’s happening around me. John Tallmadge calls writing “a form of discovery as well as expression.” He suggests that “we can learn to use writing as a window into nature, a way to…discover the variety, intricacy, and wonder of our home landscapes.” * So I’m not just writing about the process of homing; writing is part of the process of homing.

* From “Writing as a Window into Nature” in Into the Field: A Guide to Locally-Focused Teaching.