OPINION
**I note that the editor of The BFD asks for articles to be submitted for consideration and publication.
I have been an author for The BFD for some time, and before that for the blog, Whaleoil. I submitted Word of The Day on both sites, and my length of submission would make me one of the longest-surviving authors on these platforms. Latterly I have submitted many articles in the Tech Talk series.
I mention this, not to boast, but to give some idea of the length of my authorship, if that is a real word. But that raises the question: why have I done this for all those years? All that effort and not a cent in payment. There must be some payback, surely.
A little background about me. I was born in 1946, my father having got a little time off from dissuading Japan, with some help from the Americans and British, from their expansionist goals. So I’m what is known as a boomer, or baby boomer. The boom is usually accepted as the period from 1946 to 1964. This time was a period of expansion as the world recovered from World War II. People were not rich (by today’s standards our family would have been considered deprived) but things like family and honesty were important. Church and religion were still important to some, but were starting to decline. Education was considered desirable, but not the all-consuming goal some now see it as.
My education in Taranaki and the Wairarapa was all at state schools. I did OK but was not an outstanding scholar. Besides a stable home environment, the two gifts my parents gave me were a love of reading, and a desire to help others. And the one thing I developed for myself was an enquiring mind. The advent of the internet late last century opened many avenues for research and enquiry.
My writing career only started around the turn of the century. Time to think, and the internet helped by providing a huge reference library.
I write about things that interest me. Technology is one field I find particularly engaging.
The “why” of it? If pressed I would say that it fulfils a desire to create, but as I’m not blessed with any artistic or musical talents, I use what I have, words, and an ability to research. Yes, I think this paragraph probably answers the why as well as I can.
I must thank The BFD for giving me such a great outlet for my thoughts, and such creative talents that I may possess. It has enabled me to reach a wide audience, who I believe are thinking people. And it has enabled me to be creative within my limited artistic abilities.
I look forward to continuing to provide articles here, and elsewhere, as time and health permit. On a purely selfish level, I get far more out of the writing than I expend in time and effort.
Would I recommend others follow the same route? If you think you have something worthwhile to say and can string the words together, yes, why not? Like me, you may find it rewarding. But without trying, you won’t ever know. And your words may be of real benefit to your audience.