Blog Initiation

I have this one particular habit that I know I gained from my father. It's kind of embarrassing, because when I was very young - five years old or younger - I remember catching my father doing this one particular habit and thinking him completely crazy. Oh, it's nothing awful...he would just burst out, quite suddenly and inexplicably, into a unilateral dialog. Yes, he talked to himself. And, I do, too.

I am usually in my car when I fall into this oratorical mode since the house is full of family members who would undoubtedly stare at me with that same are-you-insane look I surely gave The Old Man. I'll be driving down the road listening to talk radio or remembering some blog post I'd recently read and would then, quite suddenly and inexplicably, begin to expound on the current topic. I'm not particularly sure what this exercise is meant to accomplish except that it provides an opportunity to express how my perspective differs on said topic without actually having to talk to anyone. It almost feels as though I'm practicing for some future real conversation. By putting voice to my opinions in seclusion, unheard and without the need to defend them, I presumably would be prepared to enlighten others on the KelleyCo Way of Thinking (KWOT) without sounding like a complete idiot. It is a system that worked well for many years.

My husband took a job in the same building where I work about two years ago and we began to commute to work and back home every day. As you can imagine, this made unilateral dialogs somewhat difficult as he always felt I was talking to him. For the sake of the drive and our marriage, I let him go on with that belief for...well, he still believes that. The opportunities for this particular method of self-enjoyment dwindled. The radio now played 70's Rock and Roll or Top 40 instead of the angry, vitriolic conservatives I'd come to love so much. Over time, conversations shifted from lofty discourses on political and cultural controversies to more mundane topics such as what to make for dinner or how many times Miss Priss will be allowed to watch Imagination Movers on Saturday. I find I miss formulating and expressing my convictions. The process of declaring a stance and building defensible arguments clears my mind of the jumble and buzz that inevitably battle for prime-time brain cycles when, clearly, I should be thinking about how to convince my husband we need to eat out again.

That's where this blog comes in. Lacking the solitude needed for talking to myself, I'm bringing my internal conversation out into the light of day...putting her on the Big Screen. Well, my screen is only 17 inches, but perhaps yours is larger. At any rate, I plan to place here my musings on issues political and cultural. Please know, my interests are quite varied and my inclinations are conservative. My heart and mind are open and my desire to learn and grow is great.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.