Now in no way am I asking for some huge, stressful, life-changing event to come strike me out of the blue.  I am very satisfied with my life, and consider myself blessed with everything that I do have.  I suppose my only regret is not starting this journal writing endeavor sooner. 

I sometimes think, "what would my journal be like had I started 5 years ago?  10 years ago?"  It is for certain that I would have had many more interesting anecdotes and topics to write about during my college and graduate school years.  Somehow the single, bachelor, lifestyle in a college setting provides a multitude of experiences to draw upon.  It seems like I had many more Adventures back then than I do now.  At least that's the way I feel.

Not that my life is any less interesting - how can it be with a wonderful wife, and two growing kiddos?  Just different is all I think.  When we are so closely intertwined in each others lives, it's hard to step back & look at it from a more distant perspective.  We are so used to their everyday antics, or things they've learned that it's hard to see how much they have grown.  I guess part of it is just taking things for granted. 

Sort of like how when we don't see someone for months on end, when we finally do see them, we see so much change.  Yet when we are intimately involved in day-to-day lives, it's harder to see the small changes that occur frequently.  I really do need to start remembering things the kiddos have done, funny sayings, etc.

Up until now, I've only felt like writing a journal entry when I have some funny anecdote, or some way to make whatever topic I'm writing about funny in some manner.  I feel that because of that, it has somewhat limited me to what I should write about.  After all, this journal shoulld be a collection of my thoughts and feelings as well, in addition to funny stories or humor-filled entries.  It should be a place where I can rant about whatever is bothering me.  A place where I can express exactly how I've been feeling.  Up until now, I have not really done those things. 

This is just part of the routine maintenance that needs to be performed on any system - to see how it's been functioning, what needs to be improved, taking stock in what has been accomplished, where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. 

So dear Traveler, expect to see some change in my writing style in the days to come.  That's not to say that my funny, narrative entries are history - I just need to broaden my writing style and write what I feel and what I see fit.  Again, I still consider my journal to be in its infancy, and part of that means trying out different layouts, writing styles, and content until I get a better feel of what I want out of my journal.  I hope that the journal would not become too stagnant, and that it will be ever-changing to reflect how I'm feeling, how I grow, and how my writing changes.