Followed quickly by a second post!

She's on fire, folks. Actually, this is a lazy, link-to-something-else post, but I just found this article on FireDogLake, which appears to be a blog-aggregator news source with a strong liberal bent, and I had to post it. Facebook just doesn't feel right to me for political or intensely personal stuff, so I was FINALLY (see below) moved to get this blog a-goin'. The article's author, Sara Robinson, just blew me away with her whip-smart, cogent analysis. I wish I could write about politics like this. I've only read this one article out of the series of three, but already, I have to say: Sara Robinson, I think I love you. "Fascist America III: Resistance for The Long Haul"

Okay! I'm really doing it!

Allow me to start with an analogy. I promise you, dear readers (both of you!), that it'll make sense in a second.
Recently my Darling Fiance (DF for short) and I were vacationing in Minnesota. I don't know if you've heard, but Minnesota has lakes. Lots of them. So, we were partaking in the time-honored sport of "tubing" in one of Minnesota's many lakes, and it came to be my turn to jump in the water, haul myself onto the tube behind the boat, and rip around the lake. Striding boldly to the boat's edge, I... stopped dead. The water would be cold! Yes, it would be okay after a minute or two, but that first quarter second, when your body hits the water and you suffer that gripping, visceral certitude of death... well, I hate that quarter second. I was scared. That moment, it's so horrible, isn't it? Yes, I'm sure it is. Maybe I don't want to ride on the tube. Maybe I can just stay in the boat, dry and comfortable.

While this internal monologue is going on, I'm simultaneously fending off DF, who has gone from "okay, honey, jump in!" to "really, just go, it'll be fine!" to "I'm going to push you on three if you don't jump. One... two..."

So I jumped. And it was not nearly as bad as I feared. In fact, after a second, the water felt good. And I swam and rode the tube, which was fun, and challenging, and exhilarating and, let's be honest, occasionally painful because I'm 31 and not as pliable as I used to be. But my day was richer for having done it instead of staying dry and comfortable on the boat.

And (here's where I close the loop, patient reader) I think that pretty accurately captures my approach to this blog, too. I thought about it for a long time before I actually set it up. Then it took me months to actually screw myself up to post anything. Meanwhile, DF would occasionally say, "when are you going to start your blog?" or "how come you haven't actually posted anything on your blog? we got you a book and everything." (Yes, I got a book. ON BLOGGING. So lame.)

Well, DF, here it is. I've jumped into the blog world. It wasn't too scary. I'm hoping the experience of having this blog will continue to follow the pattern: fun, challenging, exhilarating, occasionally painful, and ultimately, an enriching experience. Here's to taking the leap.