Honestly, I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking.

These things rarely, if ever, turn out the way you want them to. I mean, it’s easy enough to sit here, listening to Lady Antebellum, thinking that I can keep up a daily blog for 2011.

I mean, I absolutely promised myself that I wasn’t going to do anything like this.

Yet, here I am, beginning a 365 journal of my life lived deliberately. (And, for the record, let’s get this straight right up front–I’m not getting all full of myself saying I’m living a consciously positive, constructive, worry-free, penguin-saving deliberate life; we’re not going to qualify this word in any such landslide of a meaning. Living “deliberately” for the purposes of this 365 journal simply focuses on living a life with intent. I can screw up deliberately as easy as I can deliberately enter a burning building and save a cage full of domestic rodents that have no idea they will probably be sold as snake food to some 14-year-old kid up the street who had a rather reptilian Christmas. So we’re clear on that, right? Good.)

Presumed FAQ no. 1: When are you going to write during the day, and should followers get used to a routine post in the mornings or evenings? Hell, I don’t know. Check back often. And if there’s no new content posted yet, then just kick your heels back, poke around a bit, and leave a comment on another post that gets you going, good or bad.

Presumed FAQ no. 2: Why are you even doing this if you know the chances of keeping up with it are in line with the millions of other resolutions made on this day (and, presumably, already broken)? Because there IS a chance that I will do it, right? And if I can’t believe in chances, then I should scrap the whole thing and just be done with all of it.

Not a chance.

Presumed FAQ no. 3: You have, like, three followers that have posted on your site in the last year. Aren’t you the least bit dejected and rejected at this statistic, and aren’t you outright delusional to think that these numbers will increase? Nope, not at all, and quite possibly (respectively). So what? It reminds me of the fat guy who’s out there trying his best to jog around the block. Most people make fun of the sad sack and the sorry sight of him huffing and puffing. I look at that guy and say AWESOME that you are even out here while the rest of us are in our beemers and whatevers driving the 0.75 miles to the store. I see myself as that jogger, chugging along. I’m not doing this to get people in cars to follow me; I’m doing this to document to this world that I was here, that I existed, and maybe, if I’m lucky, some of my readers will get out of their cars and leave a comment or two right along with my words. It’s a lot more fun to jog with others; it’s nice to know that they’re leaving their mark too. (and, for the record, I am, well, a little more than husky, so the “fat jogger” comments are, in truth, a self-jab more than anything else. So if I’ve insulted you, get over it. We’re all in this together. And I’m proud of you anyway, so let’s all just be happy, ok? Good.)

Right, then. So. Let’s get this thing started, shall we?

Hi. My name is Rus. I am better known by many as VW, or v-dub. Yes. I was a v-dub before Volkswagen thought this would be a cool campaign to sell their righteous cars. (Side note: in about three days, mrs. v-dub and I will have successfully traded in our gas-guzzlin’ jeep and mini-van for two VW jettas. Yep. We’re feeling the Fahrvergnügen in a pretty happy way.)

I’m a teacher (I love what I do) at a local high school and at the University where I completed my undergraduate degree in the greatest decade ever–the eighties. I teach writing, English, photography, and publications. I’m having the Time of My Life. 🙂

I’m also a writer and photographer. It’s a part of who I am. You’ve heard the line before, and it’s true: writing and photography are my oxygen; to deny myself of either passion would be to deny myself of living at all. So I do both, all the time.

What makes today unique? Everything. Every moment breathed, lived, cherished like no other. You’ll get sick of me saying that, but it’s true. I love every one of those cute little moments. 🙂

But what really sticks out are these two things:

1. A new-year’s sunrise bike ride with one of the best people I’ve ever known. We’ve been friends since those decadent eighties, and we’ve been trail riding pretty consistently for these last 8 or 9 years. Thanks, Trina, for enriching my life. 🙂

2. We have a mouse in our house, and my wife is quite brave when it comes to the wildlife that finds its way into our humble abode. In fact, she is much braver than I, and I do not hide that fact, nor do I carry any shame in admitting it. For some reason, the smaller the critter, the harder it is for me to confront. The entire event was chronicled in a Facebook thread on Amy’s page, and it involved a great friend and individual who now lives in Maine (way up there in Maine. We’re talking north of Canada in some places…). I felt like the three of us were in the same room kicking back a few Sam Adams Cherry Wheats, like we used to do 13 years ago. I miss Chris terribly, but I am grateful that we have a way to stay in touch with her.

Man, this post got long.

Signing off for today. Only 364 to go. Dear Jesus, guide me here, will ya?

Love to ALL–rvw