Ted:
I don't normally participate on this thread, although I've posted a few horror originals on SYW, but I recently read the three blog posts that you end your posts with and I find your honesty and transparency to be beyond words (in a good way). I believe most of us chase after the writer dream because we are either afraid of something or on the run from or toward something. With me, as a 55 year old divorced father of two 19 year old college freshmen, I fear becoming irrelevant. I fear my sons becoming the wonderful young adult men that I always saw in them and then, they no longer need me. So, I chase after the writers' dream because, to me, writing a great piece is sort of like catching a bit of immortality in the fact that at least some people will remember me. My current wife finds that a bit narcissistic but I disagree. I don't want buildings named after me. I don't want a following of groupies. I just want people to see there was more to me than the difference between the sum of all my successes and failures. Ted, I don't know you, but I wish you all the best. Be comfortable in your own skin, fellow writer, and decide for yourself who you are and what is your purpose. Never let others decide that for you. It's funny that I've got a tab open on You Tube and Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" just played. Anyway, write on into the glorious sunset and I hope to read more of your stuff on SYW.