No fooling, on April 1, 2016, I started this blog. On that day the “Poet on Blueberry Street” joined the millions of other bloggers in the world. I wrote because I loved to write. I had no other reason. My first post was short—a total of 147 words. As of today, I have published 247 entries. Some of you may have followed me from the beginning. We have shared the ups and downs of caring for a special needs beagle, camping in Florida, and who could forget the pandemic?
Who am I? A retired schoolteacher with a love for God’s creation, poetry, and writing. My most popular post remains, Dover Shores: Thanks for the Memories, which has received 9,500 views. Who would think a story about the remodeling of an Orange County, Florida school would be so trendy? Maybe it’s the way the story captured the history of a quaint neighborhood school which impacted countless people.
In 2018, as I was preparing for the launch of Buddy the Beagle on Blueberry Street, my domain name changed to debbieburton.blog. Since then my theme has stayed the same—”stories are meant to be shared.” I still aim to inspire my readers to appreciate the beauty in the world around them and value simple moments in their daily routine.
Starting something is easy. We can start to diet, begin an exercise program, or even start writing a book. Staying and continuing is harder. Regardless of how many followers I have, I know in my heart I am doing what I was created to do.
My favorite post is Do You Remember How to Play? Every person has an inner-child we forget about as we mature. Our inner-child loved to play and imagine. He or she was creative and not afraid to take risks.
Thirteen years ago I met my inner-child when I started writing poetry. I had just retired from teaching and had plenty of free time. It was her voice that helped me put the best words in the best order. My friends told me I had talent. My family was impressed. When my first poem was published in Time of Singing Magazine I rejoiced.
I continued to write. I continued to be published. I continued to celebrate. I created this blog, wrote magazine articles, and authored children’s books. Now I’m editing a creative writing magazine for the community where I live. But achievement comes with a price. Each success brings more busyness until the voice of my inner-child becomes drowned out by adult expectations and the pressure to keep achieving.
It’s during those times I must play. I need to ride my bike and feel the wind on my face, or go into the kitchen and prepare a new recipe. Spending time with my granddaughter, Winnie, helps me get in touch with my inner-child. Together we create a pretend world of toy dinosaurs and Play-doh. I love it! But my adult self would never do that alone. After all, what would people think?
So if you don’t hear from me, I hope it’s because I’m playing. Thanks for following my blog. To God be all the glory.
debbieburton.blog 