Much of what I say here now is intensely personal. I expect that some of you object to my making a private matter public — the whole “dirty laundry” thing.
Nobody wants to read that shit.
According to WordPress statistics for Ubi Libertas Blog, that may not be true. This graph reflects weekly traffic over the last three months:
Since I published “Step right up. Come on in.” two weeks ago, revealing that Deb had left me a month before, this blog has seen three times its average number of views.
Three times.
Those 12 posts have registered some of the gaudiest stats in almost five years. Even on days when I didn’t publish (that happened twice), traffic was still double what I usually see, mostly readers visiting the blog’s home page to see if there was anything new.
Believe me, I didn’t do this on purpose. I get nothing out of it financially. (Ubi Libertas Blog isn’t monetized.) I can’t help but wonder why, suddenly, more of y’all are reading what I write.
Maybe the drama appeals to you — there’s nothing like a juicy breakup, right? A fair number of you are friends, though, and you actually give a damn about me.
But I think there’s something else.
You’re here because it’s real. You’re here because it’s true. You’re here because I’m willing to risk looking bad to say it the way it is.
Though I don’t tell you everything, you know I won’t lie to you. I won’t hide the ball, either, nor will I shade the truth, even when giving it to you straight might make you think less of me.
Ubi Libertas Blog is genuine. That’s why you’re here.
With unexpected solitude comes a certain peacefulness. Despite the drama of circumstances, day-to-day living is decidedly undramatic.
There’s no guessing, no tension, no disapproval. Life has an undeniable crispness. It’s rational and, dare I say, stable.
Only looming uncertainty stands between “peacefulness” and true “peace.” And it’ll be that way for a while, whether I like it or not.
Work on the cabin will resume tomorrow.
Today I went to town — transfer station, post office, smoke shop. Coming back up The Mountain, I saw something in the middle of the road ahead.
A critter of some sort. I brought the truck to a stop. After about a minute, another emerged from the woods beside the road, and then another.
Turkeys.
Two hens and a Jake (or possibly a younger Tom). ‘Tis the season.
A beautiful spring morning in Ozarkansas.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable