Welcome

After much procrastination, and pointless internal debate, I have decided to stick a virtual toe into the silicon-based ocean of the Internet. And you, foolish mortals, have apparently joined me to offer moral support. Bless you all, but I must warn you, it’s probably a bad idea to encourage me to pontificate.

I tend to talk like that when I’m nervous. Forgive me.

Actually, I’m guessing that most of you will know me as either a friend, family member, or both. That’s really why I’m starting this blog. I don’t have an important message that I must tell mankind about (unless you count Christianity, and you all probably already know about that one). There will be no virtual 95 Theses here, I’m afraid. But if you want to hear me warm to topics that are dear to my heart, can put up with the occasional rant (I’ll try to keep it down to once a month), and don’t mind if I do most of the talking, then I would be glad of your company.

So what’s in the name? I had initially intended to call this blog Gone Native, given my history of being an outsider that eventually became adopted by the tribe he observes. Primarily, this encompasses the American South and my aforementioned Christian faith, but there are other areas applicable as well. I thought about it, and even got as far as writing the first draft of the “Welcome to my Blog” post using that title. But I vapor-locked when I came to choosing where to host the thing, and sort of lost my way for a time. 

Sometime last week, the drive to actually start the thing started nibbling at my consciousness again, and I decided last night to get on with it.

So what to call it? Gone Native was taken on Blogger. I had long been mulling over the idea of starting a monthly newsletter on Star Wars topics for my nephews (like me, all rabid Star Wars fans), called The Padawan Post. That name was free on Blogger, but more research showed it already in use by the galactic-voyage.com website. I'd never heard of the site before, so I don't think it was unintentional plagiarism on my part. In any case, they seem to have had it first. Great minds think alike, I suppose.

My wife suggested using The Padawan Pause instead. The more I thought about it, the more it grew on me. I admire the Buddhist and Christian traditions of valuing silence, so the connotation of pausing for a moment to listen, or to reflect, appealed to me. As for the Padawan part, they are students — seekers. I pray I will always remember that I, too, am a student.

And finally, my nephews and I have formed our own personal order of Jedi, and I hope this blog will help us to communicate about our common interest in Star Wars. And so,  it is an altogether fitting name.

At least until tomorrow, when I change my mind…

Stay well, gentle readers. There’s more to come.