Brain? What are you doing Brain?

So I’m sitting here at my table with a glass of scotch and a warm laptop trying to start this, my blog. Not because I feel I have anything important to say, or at least not anything important enough to make you read. I am doing this on a dare. A double dog dare in fact. Sort of an “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours” kind of thing. So here I am, dutifully typing away lest it become the dreaded triple dog dare, which invariably leads to having your tongue stuck to a cold flagpole.

I can’t help but feel like maybe that’s exactly what this process of blogging is all about, daring yourself to lick the pole and see what sticks. For when we lay ourselves out like this post our thoughts and feelings, it really is like having our tongues frozen to a flagpole. The warmest and softest parts of ourselves exposed for all to see, leaving us vulnerable to a good swift kick in the ass or two. Not that we don’t all need that now and then, but it hurts nevertheless. And what’s worse than getting kicked and sucker-punched when you can’t fight back? Having everyone laugh at you simply because you dared to try. You dared to be brave, to do what so many others wouldn’t. Or couldn’t. And yet there you are, the laughing stock of the schoolyard.

Fortunately for me, I grew up in Southern California where it never got cold enough to get your tongue stuck to the flagpoles. So with that small comfort in the back of my mind, I am taking the dare, walking up to the flagpole and sticking out my tongue. Laugh if you want to, cheer if you want to, follow me if you dare. It’s a small act, but a huge leap of faith. I can’t promise it will be fun, and I can’t promise it will always be safe, but I CAN promise it will be a wild ride, and if you are willing to join me, strap in and crank the radio, cause here we go….