Welcome...

It’s officially the New Year (1/1/11 as many have updated their social media status to reflect) and with each “5, 4, 3, 2, 1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!” come the resolutions, recently developed goals, renewed hopes, and of course timely reflection on the year gone by. 

At no other point in the year are there more discussions of the aforementioned items than during the few days/weeks prior to and shortly after the ringing in of a new year.  I never really understood society’s obsession with setting resolutions and goals at this particular time of year, as if at no other point in the year it mattered or it matters that much more with the commencement of a new calendar year.  In the isolated view, a new year is a new beginning which, in and of itself, is a blessing.  Some, however, speak as if yester-year has vanished from existence and holds no power over the current state.  Have the relationships previously enjoyed ceased to exist?  Did the pile of work left untouched yesterday at the job disappear?  Better still, is there no trace of the extra weight gained last year because today is a new year and the slate is apparently clean?  Rhetorical questions indeed but I digress…like most, I’m socialized and continue to make the change in year a focal point.

 In doing so, a prior goal is now coming to fruition…giving birth to http://www.theproje.blogspot.com/ ...essentially the personal reflections of yours truly.

I started writing at the turn of the millennium as a therapeutic means to release a variety of feelings during a particular point in my life.  I quickly grew addicted and personal reflections turned into prose proceeded by poetry.  I enjoyed the linguistic challenge of creating a written work only to tear it apart and render it a ridiculous attempt at something I had no business trying to do.  I was, and still am, my harshest critic. 

Nonetheless, I continued writing regularly keeping most pieces private until one Fall morning I made the mistake of reciting a poetic piece during a Freshman Composition class.  Actually, let me correct myself.  The mistake wasn’t in reciting the piece; the error in judgment was my informing the audience that one of the young ladies in the class (whom I refused to disclose when I was bombarded with questions at the end of class) was the inspiration behind the poem.  That (albeit skillful attempt at seduction) proved the demise of my writing.   The purity of each poem/prose was tainted by the drive to impress others to gain some form of notoriety.

I grew frustrated and stopped writing a few months later, with the exception of a few ‘Chicago Culinary Connoisseur’ emails, and took a more than brief hiatus.  When asked if I still wrote, the common response was that I no longer had a desire to write, did not have the time or energy, or didn’t come across anything inspiring.  Yes, I know…excuses.

Fast forward to 1/1/11…this is the beginning…this is ThePROJE.  I welcome you on my personal journey. 

Happy New Year and enjoy!