I have been taking an improptu hiatus from Local Courage this last month or so. The months of September and October were difficult in the Carlson/Call household. I do not want to delve into the gritty details, but I spent a fair amount of time bouncing from job to job and experiencing many changes. I did not handle these changes with grace. And so, I pulled back from the many projects in my life.
The blog was not something I initially wanted to pull myself away from. In fact, I really wanted to throw myself headlong into writing during my days off. I knew it would bring my a sense of satisfaction.
The truth is, however, Local Courage has started to evolve on my brain, and on paper, to something much greater than I anticipated. It wants to go in so many directions, I find myself constantly reigning it back in.
There is a phenomenon in blogging that I think many new writers find themselves in. Much like when I was a radio DJ, there is this strange impression that I am shouting into a void. Each entry is a slip of paper put into a glass bottle and cast out to sea. Except for those reader of whom I practically bribed into reading the blog, I also wonder – who is out there? who am I writing to? do they agree, do the disagree?
The next several months, gearing back towards the spring when I can do more farm visits – Thom and I like photographing the farm when it’s abundant with life – I will be exploring what Local Courage is, and what Local Courage should be. I feel proud of the content I’ve created so far, but not always certain it reflects who I am, and what at the core I am trying to say.
So readers, whomever you are, I ask this of you. What do you want to see from Local Courage? Do you like personal narratives and stories about the Seacoast as a locally sustainable community? Or are the recipes much more appealing? Is there something completely different that I haven’t even touch upon, though you wish I would?
If I have never said it before, I would like to say now – I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this blog. This is a labor of love, and it means so much to me when someone even glances at the main page. In a time where every second is of value, I value the seconds you give to me.
How about something on local grain production? Just had a great meal with Emmer berries we got at Common Ground. Grains are good. Cheers.
That’s an excellent idea. I’m an acid baker and have mostly been using heritage flour the last few months from semi-local farms. I’ll definitely think about how I can incorporate that into the blog.