The midnight hour has arrived.  Saturday has just ended; Sunday is beginning quietly; and I should be in bed, getting ready for a busy morning at church.  I feel compelled to write, though, and I thought I would spend a few minutes writing about one of my favorite topics, namely writing.

Less than a year ago, I started writing heavily in a blog; five months ago, I joined Triond (and have produced nearly 160 articles in 150 days); and four months ago, I joined Associated Content. 

Like many of you, I'm one of "those people."  When I walk into a room, people take notice.  Why?  It's certainly not from personality or looks or anything like that.  And it's not because I have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of a shoe. 

People point and whisper, "That's him!  That's him!  That's the guy who likes to write!"

I turn to the onlookers, smile, and gently correct the erroneous sentence with a low key sympathetic reply, such as, "You idiot, you should say, 'That's he!'"

Okay, okay.  I don't really say that.  I don't even really think it, though the phrase, "That's him" does make me cringe.

It is true, though, that I like to write.  In fact, I love to write.

What drives me to spend so much time writing?

First of all, writing allows me the opportunity to share who I am.  At twenty years old, this thought would be self-centered.  At thirty years old, this thought would be arrogant.  At forty years old, this thought would be a bit presumptuous and pompous.  However, at forty-seven (soon to be forty-eight) it is, to paraphrase Goldilocks, "Just right."

I'm old enough now to understand that everyone -- myself included -- has something to offer, a story (or stories) to share, and I believe it is important to take those opportunities and do something with them.

I'm not going to impart any great wisdom through my writing.  Your IQ is not going to skyrocket if you start reading my works.  In fact, your IQ may drop like a rock.

I am an encourager.  I am a motivator.  I am a good listener.  I am a good story teller.  And perhaps most of all, I am a writer who aspires to improve, a writer who realizes he has limitations and who humbly is seeking to get to the next level.

I write because I love God, and I want to share the joy that comes through him.

I write because I am a father of four kids; I am an attentive dad who spends a lot of time with his children and who believes he may be able to offer some ideas to new dads or soon-to-be dads out there.

I write because I love my wife, and even after twenty-two years of marriage I'm finding more and more that I have a lot of room for improvement as a husband.  If my writing can help the reader avoid some of the mistakes I've made, that's a powerful thing.

I write because even though I have Parkinson's Disease (diagnosed almost ten years ago at the ripe old age of thirty-eight) I am still upbeat, cheerful, and I thoroughly embrace and savor life.  I have found that readers (in general) appreciate my enthusiasm and optimistic outlook.

I write because I love telling stories.  I have told my stories to my kids as they've been growing up, and I discovered that other people enjoy some of the stories as well (okay, well, at least my mom and my great Aunt Ruth like the stories).

There are probably dozens of other things that motivate me to write, and some of those things are discovered along the way.  I learn more about myself through my writing.

With all that being said, I thank you for allowing me to come into your world, and I welcome you to my world as well.  I look forward to learning more about you.

I also seek and value your comments.  I am always seeking to improve my writing skills!  Any and all comments are welcome.

Now it's time for me to get some sleep!

Night, all.

Cheers,

Joel (nutuba)