“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
― Walden
― Walden
“CONGRATULATIONS: Your URL ‘STONE-PATHWAY’ has auto-renewed…”
Ah… my very first URL and human attempts at blogging began over 2 decades ago on this badly-hyphenated website. I had no idea what I would write about, but I had just put down a flagstone walkway in front of our home and found myself walking back and forth on the rocks, contemplating life.
I’d also just returned from a rock-hounding expedition with my husband in search of quartz crystal points in Mt. Ida Arkansas – back in the day when explorers were still allowed to roam the open mines.. no longer possible due to safety concerns.
My first blog was basically what most amateur bloggers were doing at the time – chronicling my life and staying in touch with family and friends – like a family newsletter full of grainy photos taken with my “JAM CAM” digital camera and goofy background music. How annoying…
I kept trying new things with the site, trying to find my true interest – should I talk about rocks and crystals? Spirituality? Set up an online store? Promote health and wellness? Maybe a gardening page? I bounced from idea to idea, which was perfectly safe to do because no one was actually reading it after all. It could come or it could go- no one would be the wiser.
Finally my life got too busy to worry about what to put on my defunct blog page, so I parked it. Until today….
Once again the question was raised – Oh dear Stone (badly placed dash) Pathway, I’m still paying for you, so I should at least USE you… what shall you be?
I look out over my flagstone walkway – which is at another house in another town – yet very similar to the one I had so many years ago. With coffee in hand and the sky still dark, I step out on the cool rocks and make the call. You, dear Stone Pathway, will not be limited by a category- I will not try to “do things right” and narrow your ‘niche’. You will be a repository of thoughts and ideas, dreams and wishes, beautiful things and wonderful places. I’ll talk about plants and God and the bunion on my toe all in the same blog post if I want! This is my place – not a market place. It’s my mind, not a hive-mind.
My stone pathway is a place of solitude and calm thoughts. Bringing those feelings back inside with me, I sit down at my laptop and type these words.
If you’ve found this place and choose to read – you are welcome here.
