Welcome to my blog

After much thought and with some trepidation, I have decided to write a blog, or at least to begin one. Whether I shall be the hero of my own blog remains to be seen (pace Dickens). When I was a teacher, I had an audience that I very much enjoyed. I relished the give-and-take of the classroom and the chance to speak my mind--to a degree. I tried, though, not to impose my own religious, political, or otherwise controversial views on my students. My job was to teach, not to indoctrinate. But now I am retired, I am getting older and ornerier, and I have opinions. Before it is too late, I would like to share some of them, partly in hopes of persuading others, but mostly, I suppose, simply to get things off my chest. Putting things into words has always been my outlet; in fact, nothing seems entirely real to me until I dress it in language. I believe in the power of the word, and despite the fact that I wish my own facility with words was far better than it is, I still want/need to speak my mind. If you don't like what I have to say, don't read my blog, but I intend to tell the truth as I see it--finally and at long last.