And We're Off!

Ok, here we go.

My first blog.

I stared at the page for a little while before I touched my keyboard, wondering where to start. I’ve never done this before, and it’s always a little intimidating to wade into new waters. Then I decided to just start writing. We’ll see where this goes. I’m going to be writing about a variety of subjects, but everything will come from, and will be informed by, my new role as an ex-real-estate-professional-and-budding-author-and-illustrator.

No subject will be off limits - with the possible exception of my former career, which might be an interesting way to make a living, but is as boring as unbuttered toast to write about.

But before we get rolling, I just want to say something about the word ‘blog’. I think blog just might be the ugliest word in common use today. Not ugly in the way a racist or sexist epithet is ugly, but aesthetically unappealing, and simply nasty to say. It sounds like a villain from a pulpy 1950s space opera:

Blog, Conquerer of Worlds!

Or possibly the noise that one of my dogs might make as she ejects something she has unwisely eaten. Yes, I know the etymology of the word, but I would be much happier if we could replace it with something more palatable. A word more pleasing to all of the senses. A fragrant word. A word like "hemple” or “swoomf”.

“Hi, my name Terry - welcome to my swoomf”. Well, maybe not swoomf, but something better than blog. I’ll keep working on it.

Sorry, I got a little sidetracked there. This is supposed to be an introduction.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. Not too much - this isn’t an autobiography - but just enough to give you a taste of where I come from, and what has shaped my views of the world.

My name is Terry, and I recently left the world of corporate real estate to pursue two of the loves of my life - writing and drawing. My other great loves - my wife Tobey and my small herd of dogs - have agreed to join me on this new adventure, and thank God for that. I doubt if I could make a go of it on my own.

In truth, they are doing more than just coming along from the ride. Tobey is my art director, web designer, business manager, and all-around coach. You’re on my website, so you can see how good she is in the first of these roles, and you’ll just have to take my word for it that she’s equally proficient at her other responsibilities. The dogs, if I’m being honest, don’t really do much to help, but their adorableness buys them a lot of leeway.

I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, have had a varied education in architecture, the arts, and business - I even managed to pick up an MBA along the way - and have indulged a lifelong interest in art, literature, history, music, and... well, the world in general. And movies. I love movies. I’ve been writing and drawing for my entire life, and have had some experience as a freelance illustrator, but have never had the opportunity to really make a go of either pursuit. I’m very excited to see where the next little while will take me.

So there you have it. Me, in a nutshell. I’ll let you know more about me as we go along, but I don’t want to overstay my welcome in this first visit with you, so I’ll wrap it up here, and hope that you’ll join me in my next few steps down this new road.

See you next time.