This is ourselves, under pressure...

I've got blisters on my fingers...

It is now January the twelfth, two thousand and eight. I think it is fair to say that the New Year is well under way, the holiday season is well behind us and it is time to turn our attention to the daily issues that are important to we the people. If you’re anything like me you’re probably under some real pressure right now. I imagine you’re losing some sleep over decisions that are weighing heavily upon your sense of well being. Doubts are creeping in and it is getting more difficult to ignore them with every passing day.

Did I really make the most informed decision? Was I a bit too hasty in what course of action I decided to take? Is this truly the course I want my life to be on? Maybe what God and country think isn’t as important as what I feel is best for me. Maybe conforming to the expectations of my friends and community isn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped it would be. Is it just too much of a commitment for me to accept? Maybe I’m just not meant to walk in line with the elephants. Yeah, these are some of the very same questions I’ve been asking myself lately.

For me it has come down to one key question; am I really interested in continuing this commitment? Is the reward truly worth the expenditure of time and personal effort I’m expending to keep it? Quite frankly it has proven to be a lot more work than I ever expected it to be, the pressure of potential failure is stifling and the fear of disappointing those who have come to depend upon me on a daily basis is almost more than I can bear. I’m beginning to think it’s more of a burden than I can reasonable carry on my weary shoulders.

With all of that being said I have to ask my readers; is it too early in the New Year to give up on my New Year’s resolution? What is the protocol for giving up on one’s resolutions? I’m not sure what to do because I’ve never made one before. I only decided on this one because it seemed so easy at the time and I figured what the heck, I think I could actually do this one standing on my head. Here’s what happened...

A couple of days into the New Year I stopped by my good friend Asara Dragoness’s blog and discovered a thing called Blog 365. Well, when I surfed over to see what the site was all about I got caught up in all the excitement and before I knew it I’d signed up and committed myself to posting a blog entry e-v-e-r-y s-i-n-g-l-e d-a-y. Sure, most of you are thinking, “well, heck you’re already so prolific a writer and clearly it comes easily to one as verbose as yourself. How hard could be for the “Mayor of Bloggerville”, the great and powerful DirkStar?”

(That’s what I thought at first too.)

But then comes the reality of having to write something clever, witty and heartfelt on a daily basis. Yes, I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but it’s not as easy as I make it appear to be. There are days where I spend thirty to forty minutes staring at my keyboard shaking in terror that an idea simply will not come and I’ll have nothing to post. I’ve actually sat here and cried sometimes as the pressure threatened to overwhelm me. I just can’t blog like this...

So I’m asking you, my cherished readers and good friends, is it too soon to give up this resolution or should I guts it out and honor my commitment? Will you think less of me if I just give up and go back to blogging as I’ve always done it in the past? I mean, its not as if I haven’t learned from the experience. These past twelve days have made me a better and more tolerant blogger. Now that I realize just how hard you people are working to get a post up each and every day I won’t be nearly as quick to judge the quality or content of your efforts ever again. I mean it.

I’m leaving it up to you good people. My year is in your hands. Is it okay to give up on a silly, impetuous promise made in one rash moment of non-thinking impulse or are my fingers doomed to a never ending pain of carpel tunnel agony as I try to provide a selfish audience with a non-stop stream of political insight, family entertainment and comic relief. Remember, I have a child and can only afford to replace so many keyboards and I’ve already spent a small fortune on band aids trying to ease the blisters on the tips of my fingers. Please, can I just quit now?

Friday’s Market Numbers

DOW - 246.79

NASDAQ - 48.58

S&P - 19.31

I may have been a bit hasty investing Micah’s college fund in the market. How am I ever going to explain to Felicia that we can’t even afford to home-school the boy now?

Thank God I’ve still got the sock money in my dresser drawer. I can still recoup my losses if I play things right.

What was that rule again? Oh yeah, buy low and sell when I’m high...