Setting Out

Whenever I start something new, I find myself in the backyard of my parents house on the first day of second grade. It was the first time I'd be attending a school that required me to ride a bus. My two sisters and I were going together - they'd be in the kindergarten and first grade. My mother had me dressed in a starched cotton tartan shirt and dark corduroy pants and I stood uncomfortably in my new leather shoes on the grass. It was cold and there had been an early frost. 

My Dad had the idea to send us to school with small bouquets of flowers from our garden and he was on his knees clipping out the ones that had not been ravaged by the rabbits that lived in the nearby woods. When he handed me the bunch of flowers that I was to take, I found that stuck inside one of the closed flowers was a frozen bumble bee - trapped by the folding petals of the flower or maybe by the sudden cold. When I gave a shout and everyone had had a look at the little wonder - I've not seen it happen since - my father flicked the frozen bee out of the bud with one of his thick fingers and handed me back the bouquet. 

Starting this blog feels just about as strange and new to me; and as full of secret promise. 

Expect to find posts here about my experiences as a dad and husband; as a friend; as a worker of many trades; as a writer and above all as a decent person. I hope you find it worthwhile. 

See you tomorrow.