Before I get much further with this blog, I feel I must clarify something—I am not writing a blog about my cat. Some of you are confused, so let me explain. I have two cats, one of who is named Scout. (The other is named Nala, and she would be very upset if I didn’t mention her.) The more observant of my very few followers have noticed that my blog is named “Scout’s Landing,” my profile is named “Introspective Scout,” and my profile picture is (presumably) of my cat peering out a window reflectively. Well, I like to think that she was reflectively looking out the window when the picture was taken. More than likely, she was doing nothing more than spying on some pigeons that were perched on my porch roof. But I digress…Because of all of this, I got asked—in that I’ll-support-whatever-you-do-but-think-you’ve-gone-‘round-the-bend tone of voice—if my blog will be about my cat. Rest assured, I have not “gone ‘round the bend.”
So what will my blog be about? Well…
A few years ago, when I was really unhappy with my job, I got the idea to start a book blog where I could do what, aside from The Husband and ice cream, makes my heart go pitter-patter—read and review/analyze literature. In the fantasyland that exists in my mind, I hoped that some big-name magazine or newspaper editor would stumble upon my blog, fall in love with my witty and insightful reviews, and whisk me off to be the next big whoever-is-big-in-the-book-review-world. I’m not in said job anymore, but I’m not reviewing books for a big magazine or newspaper either, so that says a lot for that dream at the moment.
More recently, I’ve contemplated starting a blog about a medical condition I’ve been struggling with over the past couple of years. My hope would be to raise awareness for it and be a source of encouragement for those who suffer from it. But that requires me to be a lot more open and vulnerable than I tend to like being with people who aren’t God and The Husband. No offense to you all, especially the close family and friends who may read this and be hurt. Perhaps some day…
Lately, though, I’ve felt the need to just write about life. A lot has happened in my life in the last year—let alone couple of years—that have caused me to evaluate what I believe and what I think, and I feel the need to bore more than Mini Me (the voice in my head) or The Husband with my thoughts (both breathe very audible sighs of relief). Which brings me to the pieces of my blog that caused the question mentioned earlier…
One of the things you should know about me is that my absolute favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Absolute. Favorite. I read it at least once a year and thumb through it whenever life feels out of kilter and I need to feel some inner calm. One of the reasons I like TKAM so much is that I identify with the novel’s narrator, Scout. Growing up, I was very much like her—I was bright, preferred playing with boys over playing with girls, wore shorts underneath my skirts and dresses (thank you, Friday Flip-Up Day), and tended to do more than scratch the surface with my thoughts. In some respects, I am still like Scout today; I long ago stopped wearing shorts underneath my skirts, but I still have a tendency to be introspective and am often baffled when people’s words or actions don’t align with how I think people and the world should work. This blog is a manifestation of this. I am Inquisitive Scout, who has found a landing on which to perch, look out at the world around me, and reflect on what I see. I’m sure that I won’t always like what I see, I’m sure that you won’t always like what I say, and I’m sure that I won’t always like what you say in response, but whenever I decide to lay this blog to rest, I hope that I will have imitated my great literary hero. I hope that I will have grown in perspective and understanding of the world…and I hope that I will have helped you do the same.
With that, I’d like to welcome you to Scout’s Landing. I look forward to what we learn from each other.
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