I wanted to call this post 2011- The Year of The Motherfucker but then I thought that it might be better to write 2011- You Were a Real Motherfucker.
As you can see I opted not to use either headline and not because I was concerned that I would scare away the millions of brands that are pounding down my door demanding that I become one of their ambassadors. Nope, I like Words You Won’t Read better because it is more accurate.
That is not because I don’t have legions of readers who hang on my every word because I do and let me tell you that it is not always easy to have groupies. Groupies still think for themselves and sometimes that means that they do don’t as I wish they would. Minions are different.
Minions don’t think to do anything other than your bidding and that is kind of cool. But you have to be careful about that because as Uncle Ben Parker said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Of course that didn’t prevent him from getting shot and killed but we won’t talk about that now.
Instead I am going to share a few thoughts with you.
- I am waiting for my pals at Headway Themes to finish tweaking things so that I can migrate to the current version. That might involve small changes or it might involve big changes. I don’t know.
- It makes me crazy to see how many of the videos I have embedded here are gone because something happened on YouTube’s end.
- It makes me crazy to see how many broken links develop over time. That is just a hassle that I prefer not to deal with.
I am listening to Ray Charles sing “Mess Around” and dancing in my chair. When I am not dancing I am pretending to play my keyboard as if it is a piano. I keep hitting the keys and creating new words that look like gr-0uyghu-prfv and 0ifv80f4hr0cjw vnpln.
More than twenty years ago I worked at a camp outside of Toronto. We tried to convince the Canadians that “Combrodonate” was a word that everyone in LA was using and that it would be really cool if they did too. Most didn’t do it. I blame it on a short guy from cleveland named Mark who said that he had a cousin in LA and he had never heard anyone use it before.
Mark was an obnoxious prick. I asked him if he suffered from smoke inhalation back home. He pretended not to know what I was talking about, but I know he got it. Really, what clevelander isn’t going to acknowledge that the river bursts into flames every hour. It is sort of like their version of Old Faithful, except one is a natural geyser and the other was created by a bunch of guys…er…
I think that I am having more fun writing this story than I ever have. There is a point and a purpose to it that fuel my passion. All those ‘p’s make me proud.
Blog posts don’t have to have a purpose. Some people will read your prose because your passion is your purpose and that is the point of it all. I have written about 550 posts this year, give or take a few. Most were written because I had words that refused to remain bound inside my head.
Passion, point and purpose. I like those three words. I appreciate how by simply rearranging the order in which we use we can provide new meaning and intent.
Going to sign off now. In a few hours I’ll find out if these really were words you won’t read or not.
I’m a platonic groupie. Hope that’s okay.
Absolutely!
Hi Jack,
Groupies, minions, mini me?
What kind of camp would that have been if Kaarina asks you whether you were in the same cabin?
Twists and turns, wonderful writing, no wonder the prick propelled you towards passion, point and purpose.
Does the muse sit on your shoulder?
Hi Barbara,
That is a good question. I suppose a camp that didn’t segregate the genders could be called “Interesting.”
The muse picks different places to sit with me. Sometimes on a shoulder and sometimes on a bench. The big challenge is trying to make sure that I understand what it is he/she is trying to tell me.
Where does one apply to get minions? I could really use a dozen or so.
Hi Cynthia,
Well, the thing is you have to go and grow a little community first. Take your community and convert a few members into groupies and then with a little luck some of them will turn into minions.
I got mine from dumb luck, cleveland and the bargain bin at Ross but don’t anyone I said that. Sometimes minions get their feelings hurt and I can’t torch them on this day.
I took the bait. I enjoy your posts, so keep them coming! wishing you a successful 2012! JA
Hi Jay,
It is a pleasure seeing you here. Hope you have a great new year and that you get to enjoy lots of time with the grandchildren and those you love.
Does this mean we’re all part of a Mini-Group? Jack, like Mark I was LOL from the start, picturing myself on the red carpet as either a Minion or a Groupie (starting a Mini-Group movement)and wondering what camp outside of Toronto you were at…were we in the same cabin?
Wishing you wide-eyed wonder, happiness and health in 2012 and beyond. May the writing muse always site on your shoulder:) Cheers! Kaarina
Hi Kaarina,
I never pictured you as a minion or a groupie for that matter. Truth is that I can’t tell you exactly what they look like because I am saving that for next year.
As for camps, well I worked at one near Bent River, Ontario. Been a thousand years since I was there but I still remember. It was a fun summer, felt a bit like a fish out of water.
I was an American from the West Coast intermixed with East Coast Americans and Canadians.
Most of them had never been to LA and asked all sorts of funny questions about home.
You have my best wishes as well for 2012. Keep spreading joy there is no greater gift.
Ah the quest for the alliterative. I am glad to know that it was your passion driving this post as I was afraid you were hanging onto the MFY11.
I hope you have an excellent…even exiting and exuberant…eve of your new year, Jack. And I hope the move to your new theme is without loss of fans, followers or minions. I can still get my panties in a bunch over those that were lost in my blog move in May. But I gained you…huge bonus!
Hi Mimi,
Alliteration can be quite fun. Passion usually drives my posts, some more than others.
I wish you all the same and then some. Got to believe that 2012 is going to be much better for all of us.
So glad to know you. Have a safe and Happy New Year!
Hi Jack,
You can definitively write, and 2012 will be the year when I keep visiting your blogs a lot more.
It’s the same with me, most of my blog posts are just words I can’t get rid of, and I just start writing without thinking about earning money, or attracting visitors. I’ve been doing some keyword research lately, but it’s a lot more fun to write when you don’t have a goal in mind other than having fun, lots of fun.
Happy new year Jack.
Hi Jens,
I am so glad to see you here. I certainly appreciate your kind words about my writing.
I have to concede that even though I despise SEO I do occasionally read about it. There should be a way to balance writing the way we wish alongside SEO, or so I hope.
Happy New Year to you too. Sorry about your comment getting caught by the spam beast.
That first paragraph got me – LOL!
Loved the story. Inspired. Entertained. You can write like a mother…. Hehe!
HAPPY NEW YEAR JACK!
Ditto what Mark said:)
Hi Mark,
Glad you enjoyed it. Not only can I write like a mother I can “fill in the blank” like one too. 😉
Happy New Year to you too! Hope it is great.
See … this is why I like you!
Groupies? Minions? Ha, I just like you.
Happy New Year Jack!!
Hi Elena,
The feeling is mutual!