There are so many good blogs out there that talk about how to find peace, serenity, joy, success, etc., amidst the challenges of everyday life. If I was smart enough to know all that stuff I might write one that like that, too. But, I find life to be extremely challenging.

My hope is that the hodge-podge of stuff I post is interesting enough to enough people that they keep coming back just to see what off-the-wall thing is going on next.

Despite my attempts to find a clear path I often end up living deep in the forest of life.

Sometimes it’s dark,

Sometimes it’s peaceful,

Sometimes its lonely,

Sometimes a ray of sunshine pierces the canopy and shines on a moment that requires celebration.

Sometimes it hurts like hell.

Sometimes, even, I climb a tree and see beyond the horizon.

Sometimes I find a kindred soul to join me for part of the journey through the mist.

Most of the time, however, I’m wandering around just trying to find the moments that make life worthwhile, or to deal with the challenges it brings. A tender flower here, a soaking rain there, a sting from a scorpion, maybe I bite from a venomous snake that requires a period of recuperation, a friend who knows, a tender touch.

This blog seems to also be about real life as seen through my socially-impaired, myopic, sometimes-twisted mind.

It is a journey through my inner self. It is my therapy, my way to connect.

I want it to be a safe place for me, and you, to be. Though I try to remain thankful and appreciative of what God has given me, this is a place where it is okay to be negative.

Where it is okay to be crazy, okay to say, “My life sucks…and not just today.”

A place to have fun.

A place to cry.

A place to say “What the &^%^& was that you just wrote?”

A place to get a little jiggy.

A place to highlight the little moments of life that make it worth living without ignoring the sometimes mind- and soul-numbing reality of how hard it can be to navigate through this earthly terrain for some of us.

And, yes, a place to celebrate.

If you can find a “nugget” of joy or meaning in my random posts, something that makes a small difference in your day, I will consider this blog a success. That is what I strive for here.

I’ll leave the advice to those who are smarter than I am.

photo credits: joiseyshowaa, IndyDina and Mr. Wonderful, mikecpeck