Of course Sir5R has something to say.  I always have something to say.  Hell, most of the time you can’t shut me up unless you distract me with stunning visuals and a glass of something interesting.

I do have to admit that most of what I have to say is currently hidden away in the self-talk I subject myself to, and that can be overwhelming.

I’m getting to the point where I think I may again have something to say that might be important, that may contribute to a broader conversation or simply be considered savvy enough to be readable by someone else.

It is time to shake up this static blog by giving it a renewal in currency, a shift in focus and relevance.  It has languished long enough with the promise, both inferred and stated, that some form of renewal is on the horizon.  Time for action!

Why now?

There have been ‘changes’.  Some really big components of my world have changed, and I think I am ready to comment on them in a far more public forum than my living room.  My world view hasn’t changed, it’s just that I have something to say about it all, and I’m working hard on overcoming my fear of upsetting people by sharing what I think and observe.

My mind is not a quiet place.  I have so many thoughts, ideas, observations and fictions  competing for dominance and attention that I think I really ought to give them some structure before the randomness of it all brings my cognitive self to a complete halt.  Let’s get the self-talk out into the open as a dialogue with more than just myself.  Yep, Sir5R Journeys will become the forum for that dialogue.

There will be more discussion about the context for this as we go along, but let’s start by saying that there has been more than one change in circumstances, a change in professional focus, an evolution in daily focus the shifting tide of change in the lives of  family and friends.  All that is happening around me is providing ideas.  So I guess I’d better just get on with it and get some of those ideas blog-ready, publishable and get them ‘down on paper‘, metaphorically speaking.  Let’s do a refresh on Sir5r.com.

Ideas for the blog renewal

We’ve been here before.  Any one who might have been following this  nonsense will know that I tried this ‘renewal’ thing a year ago, and then a year before that.  All I really did was change platforms, registered a couple of domain names, wrote a couple of new blog posts and went back through the catalogue of old posts and started an abortive attempt at editing and tidying up some of those existing posts.  That’s not going to be enough this time.   I really need to structure the renewal and refresh  with a new set of ideas for content and presentation.

Yes!!  New Ideas!! Ideas like what?:

• let’s build a couple of ‘web pages’ that can provide a framework for the blog posts;
• publish thoughts on retirement that begin with the letting go of structure to finding new rhythms, to thinking about the funding of retirement and the limitations;
• world events, especially politics are presenting some fabulous opportunities for posts;
• summarizing my status in my personal relationships;
• carefully and humanely discuss my observations about the ageing of my friends and acquaintances;
• provide a narrative of how I am fumbling through genealogical searches;
• status updates on my health and fitness from my cancer to the echo effects of the stroke, to the new annoyance of my knee;
• did I mention that I bought G and myself bicycles?
• my renewed interest in writing, both fiction and  creative nonfiction

I am coming to terms with challenges understanding the ‘transparency’ and necessity of inherent personal ‘honesty’ in my blog posts  and how it relates to the potential compromise of privacy.  There is also  the part where I worry about offending friends and family.

And as I start writing more, building up my cognitive reserves and generally trying to get my mental house in order,  we do need to be mindful of the self-maintenance mantra;

Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move with Purpose.