Friday, April 15, 2011

WHO YOU KNOW

I started this blog almost five years ago to try to learn to type better, and to try to improve my writing skills to where I didn't send out as many dipshit unreadable E-mails as my co-workers. The next thing I knew, I had myself a full blown hobby. At times I may have written myself out of some dark and misty places. Along the way I picked up some pretty good friends that I will likely never meet, yet we may know each other in ways that folks that see us every day do not.

But writing, it was fun. I had a run a while back where I did like 320 posts in 340 days. Then I slowed considerably on the blog, but continued pretty heavy on Facebook.
And like anything else in this world, its who you know  as much as what you know.
I met a woman on Facebook a while back, and she became Editor of a weekly newspaper, the Alvarado Star. And she saw some of my stories, some of which take place around Alvarado and she wanted to use some of them in her paper because of that. My grandparents lived in the vicinity for 60 odd years, and I have relatives around Alvarado dating to 1850.
Yesterday, they published one of these stories. Here is the link, and a picture of me large enough that it looks like I could eat Tokyo, or at the very least a Bowling Alley.

I do not get paid. . My hope is that I will get to do more stories for the Alvarado Star. The payoff is that sometimes I can write a story that will bring fond memories back to folks that read them. That always makes me feel good, and I usually know it when I have done it, though I don't really know anything about writing
But the Grand Prize for me will be when someone that knew my grandparents, or their parents that settled and lived and farmed and died here; or my father when he was a boy; or Uncle Harry who allegedly never drove a car but preferred to ride his horse right up till 1970; the Grand Prize will be when someone reads a story of mine and says:
 "I knew your grandparents Steve, I remember them well "
and then, THEY can tell ME a story. I would like that maybe more than anything in the whole wide world, so much the thought brings a lump to my throat.
Yessir, that would be the day!

7 comments:

AnitaNH said...

Congratulations, Steve. Great to see that you got published in the paper with such a nice photo, too! I once blogged some old postcards of Beverly where I was born and people seemed to enjoy them.

It's nice to bring back memories like that. Hope you get some stories from your readers as a result.

bulletholes said...

Thanks Nita! They say in the actual newspaper my photo is not so big.

Kim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kim said...

Mr. BH, how could your wish not come true? It's just a matter of when.
I rather like the size of the photo. I told you once you are larger than life so there you go!

Anonymous said...

Your writing is just as admirable as your dedication. To writing and to your fellow beings. It's a real privilege to blog & facebook (even though I defriended myself) know you, yes siree.

Martijn

njamobile said...

Congratulations Steve! It's wonderful that one of your stories has been published for a broader audience. I believe you have a gift that should be shared.

bulletholes said...

Thanks ya'll! I'm sure having fun!