Beech Tree News Network

Ten years flies by quickly.  I started writing for Beechtree in July 2009.  I believe the exact date was July 2, which happens to be the night I’m writing this.  Over the past decade, I’ve modified how I do things.  It’s pretty much a given that you need to evolve  or you get left behind. 

When I began, I basically flew by the seat of my pants.  If I had an iPhone a decade ago, it would’ve been the iPhone 3G.  I don’t think I did.  I think, at that time, I had an LG.  I had two LG’s during this period.  Both had a flip-down keyboard.  It wasn’t until my first iPhone that I would start writing column ideas in my notes.  I do that to this day.  For easy access, I have a folder called Column Ideas. 

When I wrote my first column, I was a new member of the 30 club.  Now I’m 40 years old.  Trust me when I tell you, I can tell the difference in 30 and 40.  It’s big, kids.  I had more hair 10 years ago.  I went up a size or two in some things.  I’ll leave it at that.  There are things I think about at 40 that weren’t even on my radar at 30.

My first column was at least 3, maybe 4, laptops ago.  I was hopeful I could find that first column somehow and tell you about it.  I looked all over.  Couldn’t find it.  I can tell you the demise of each laptop, too.  My first one died.  It just stopped working.  I was typing and then… boom! It was over.  One was simply too slow.  A dark spot mysteriously appeared in the lower right-hand corner of laptop #3.  The spot gradually got bigger and bigger until I simply had to get a new one.  I still have one old one in my closet and one in the basement.  God knows why.  Another issue with one is that the cord got torn.  I might’ve accidentally stepped on it.  Who’s to say?

Needless to say I’m much more careful with my current laptop.  My last one had a book on it.  I lost said book.  I was not at all happy with myself.  Took me weeks to stop dwelling on it and hating myself. I’ve been known to dwell on my mistakes.  It’s part of my charm.  I’m working on that.  I might get a handle on it by the time I’m 70. 

Ten years ago, I didn’t think I could come up with enough column ideas to survive 10 weeks, much less 10 years.  I’ve done the math-I was told there would be no math-52 weeks per year is equal to 52 column per year.  Multiply 52 columns by 10 years and you get 520 columns in a decade.  I’m sure I took a week for vacation here and there.  That’s still over 500 columns.  And I’m jut getting started.  To infinity and beyond!