Ramble On: Let there be light

Good grief it's been a long time since you all have heard from me. So much has changed since October when I last gave you something to read. The other day, my wife told me that I was in serious danger of being moved off of her list of favorites because I hadn't written anything in forever. Hell, before that, she told me that since I'm calling myself a blogger in the bio of the magazine for which I now contribute, I'd better well actually damn blog. I added the emphasis there, just to make it that much more interesting. LOL!

In my quest to become a writing success, I reached out to the editor of Charlatan Magazine. If you've never heard of it, you will soon. Visit http://www.charlatanmagazine.com/ for your first foray into the world of Culture as Lifestyle, and make a concerted effort to seek out my column, 'Network', for insightful comment every other month. I started that late last year, and as a result, my blogging has suffered.

One night while I was moving trailers around my part-time job at the International Package Delivery company, it dawned on me that I wasn't living up to my part of the Magnolia Rambling bargain. You were reading (and some of you even leave comments), but I wasn't giving you any new gristle on which to chew. My 'job' writing for Charlatan Magazine has been uber fulfiling, and I consider it to be a dream come true. But I'd created a void, and one that needed to be filled super fast or not only would I lose second-billing on my wife's list of Internet favorites......second-billing, in deed!....but I would let down all of the twenty-four people (including my ten followers) who come to the site for entertainment, a little laughter, and maybe to learn a thing or two when reading between the lines. And that's when it hit me. Ramble On.

Every other month, my editor (how cool is THAT?) gives me the topic of the next cycle's issue. My task is to write a 'Network' article which will entertain as well as educate. Opinion isn't necessarily part of that equation, and as such, it has helped me become a better writer. Magnolia Rambling, on the other hand, is my baby. It was created out of a passion for writing, and used as a place in which I could store the crazy-ass thoughts and ideas that course in and out of my feeble brain at any given moment in time. You read Magnolia Rambling because it's funny, because you never know where in the hell my brain is going to take us on this magnificent journey, and because most of you think I'm the smartest person you've ever met.

Okay...so that last part isn't true, but since it's my blog, I can write whatever in the hell I want.

My idea for Ramble On is this: take the concept/idea of the 'Network' column I've written for Charlatan Magazine and put the Magnolia Rambling spin on it. Not only will it give me a great excuse for sitting down every month (for the challenged....I'll write the column for Charlatan Magazine, and the following month I'll write the Ramble On sister piece for Magnolia Rambling), but it only serves to deepen the hooks I've already sunk into you (and I'm talking about the ten followers here, not the extra 14 folks who happen by on a regular).

My commitment to everybody in 2011 is that you're going to be hearing from me a lot more - whether you like it or not, and certainly whether you agree with me or not. Log in, read the posts, send in your comments, and keep your opinions to yourself if they don't line up with what I've just told you to believe. Ha ha, but not really. :-)

We'll be playing a bit of catch up on Ramble On as the first topic revolves around groups and why we form them - it was the topic of my first article that was published in November, 2010. From there we'll move on to the almighty recession (January, 2011). And from there we'll talk about China and education (March, 2011 and May, 2011, respectively).

Like the newly crafted moto of a very well-respected financial institution proclaims: together we'll go far.

Ramble On...and good night.