I was not keen on the idea of social networking and for a long time ignored
queries from some younger friends about my use of networks such as Face-book. I
tried Twitter last summer, and when I had the time, rather enjoyed it. My son
introduced me to Face-book, my daughter to Pintrest and my student Erica to
Weebly. Now it is my infant grandson that inspires me to start a blog. I
have been richly rewarded by the “Stories for Samuel” website that began as a
William Woods University Mentor / Mentee project with my art education student
Erica Begley. Now the project is concluded and I want to keep the creative
effort going, so I am starting the blog “Beyond the Stories” for my friends
young and old. I enjoy an ever growing community of friends. There are a few
cheerleaders like my lifelong friend Bill McWhorter who encourage many people,
and to send out hopeful and optimistic messages. Bill nicknamed me Ernest, my
wife Michelle sometimes refers to me as the “Old Man of the Sea”, and for some I
am the “Fishing Professor". I have been called many things and am fond of all
those nick names, (even Birdcage) now that I am a senior
citizen!
Tomorrow I will travel to Rolla, MO - my home once upon a
time and the place I graduated from High School. I hope to see many old friends
and always hope to make a new friend too! It will be happy time, and I will sign
a few copies of “Children, Dogs and Sunflowers", share some art, give away some
art prints and enjoy the company of friends. It is unbelievably kind of Karen Clancy
to coordinate this event at Alex’s Pizza in Rolla. The event will start
at 1:00 P.M. and go till who knows when. I might tell a story or hear some
stories about growing up in Rolla. I wish Ron Gibbons, Jim Dunn, Randy Kofahl,
Sam Kaunley, Eric Mustain, Danny Murphy, Jim Mitchum, Leslie Trettenero,
Margaret Heller, Sue Key and many others could be with us tomorrow, but if not
in person, I will believe they will be there in spirit. If there is one theme I
include in everything I write, I hope it will be about the opportunity to study
life's lessons and come away with a positive mindset.
This new blog is a personal effort to share aspects of
friendship I too often neglected years ago, but realize now, are so important.
It is never too late as long as a breath and a spirit in us to share in
friendship. I feel now that I am a spiritual being that is working to become
more spiritual and thereby understand why I am here. This blog is for me like an
excursion I would like to take to some place like the Philippines, but can only
take presently by imagination. I could not call myself a teacher if I taught
only the techniques of art. Visual communication is like poetry, and offers much
to others; but, there are times when simple truth must be like a story shared
with friends, gilded in memory better than it might even have been before.
I have been blessed by some memorable comments since I
“went online”, and have a better mindset because of chats and a few face to face
valued exchanges like my acquaintance, and ensuing friendship with Karen Clancy.
Media and technology of our time made the Rainbow Coffee Group happen. Now I
hope my” Beyond the Stories” blog will be like a circle around a campfire at the
“Grotto”and we can share some ideas and stories of
old!
queries from some younger friends about my use of networks such as Face-book. I
tried Twitter last summer, and when I had the time, rather enjoyed it. My son
introduced me to Face-book, my daughter to Pintrest and my student Erica to
Weebly. Now it is my infant grandson that inspires me to start a blog. I
have been richly rewarded by the “Stories for Samuel” website that began as a
William Woods University Mentor / Mentee project with my art education student
Erica Begley. Now the project is concluded and I want to keep the creative
effort going, so I am starting the blog “Beyond the Stories” for my friends
young and old. I enjoy an ever growing community of friends. There are a few
cheerleaders like my lifelong friend Bill McWhorter who encourage many people,
and to send out hopeful and optimistic messages. Bill nicknamed me Ernest, my
wife Michelle sometimes refers to me as the “Old Man of the Sea”, and for some I
am the “Fishing Professor". I have been called many things and am fond of all
those nick names, (even Birdcage) now that I am a senior
citizen!
Tomorrow I will travel to Rolla, MO - my home once upon a
time and the place I graduated from High School. I hope to see many old friends
and always hope to make a new friend too! It will be happy time, and I will sign
a few copies of “Children, Dogs and Sunflowers", share some art, give away some
art prints and enjoy the company of friends. It is unbelievably kind of Karen Clancy
to coordinate this event at Alex’s Pizza in Rolla. The event will start
at 1:00 P.M. and go till who knows when. I might tell a story or hear some
stories about growing up in Rolla. I wish Ron Gibbons, Jim Dunn, Randy Kofahl,
Sam Kaunley, Eric Mustain, Danny Murphy, Jim Mitchum, Leslie Trettenero,
Margaret Heller, Sue Key and many others could be with us tomorrow, but if not
in person, I will believe they will be there in spirit. If there is one theme I
include in everything I write, I hope it will be about the opportunity to study
life's lessons and come away with a positive mindset.
This new blog is a personal effort to share aspects of
friendship I too often neglected years ago, but realize now, are so important.
It is never too late as long as a breath and a spirit in us to share in
friendship. I feel now that I am a spiritual being that is working to become
more spiritual and thereby understand why I am here. This blog is for me like an
excursion I would like to take to some place like the Philippines, but can only
take presently by imagination. I could not call myself a teacher if I taught
only the techniques of art. Visual communication is like poetry, and offers much
to others; but, there are times when simple truth must be like a story shared
with friends, gilded in memory better than it might even have been before.
I have been blessed by some memorable comments since I
“went online”, and have a better mindset because of chats and a few face to face
valued exchanges like my acquaintance, and ensuing friendship with Karen Clancy.
Media and technology of our time made the Rainbow Coffee Group happen. Now I
hope my” Beyond the Stories” blog will be like a circle around a campfire at the
“Grotto”and we can share some ideas and stories of
old!