Here it is, another wet and grey April day. Just yesterday we celebrated the arrival of spring by opening the doors of the shed and pulling out bikes and charcoal grills. Today, it is raining and cold. Spring and warmth and growth and an easy life doesn’t come at us all at once, but it little teases. That’s what we have to expect in the middle of a large continent.

This April marks one year that I’ve been at this particular blog, banging out 3-4 stories per week. That’s nearly 200 total posts. Some were joyful for limitless possibilities, others were rants against the dull stupidity of the world. Does any of this mean that something better is on its way?

Those April showers may come your way
They bring the flowers that bloom in May
So though it’s raining, have no regrets
For it’s not raining raindrops, not at all, it’s raining violets.

That’s just one of many corny old songs I learned largely by watching Bugs Bunny as a kid. I love those old songs, if for no other reason than I can sing them out loud to boost my spirits and perhaps appear a little bit crazy. You have to have a touch of insanity to believe, despite all outward appearances, that things really could get better in the world. And no matter what it looks like right now, the rain is only the setup for something better to come along.

How have things improved in the year I’ve been here? The economy has tanked, but we’re at least talking about it. Iraq seemed to benefit from “The Surge”, but still shows no way out. The Presidential election might wind up being a national dialogue on what the Hell is wrong with our nation after all.

Mostly, what I can tell you is this: like any dark and dreary day, what’s made it brighter for me has been the encouragement I’ve gotten from everyone who wrote to me or told me they liked what I had to say. Being stuck inside alone isn’t much fun, but when you can invite over enough people to call it a party who cares what the weather is like? I appreciate having all of you over, even for a brief visit, to help me call this something of a party.

I know enough to know that I don’t know much. But when I can say something from a slightly odd perspective that gets people thinking, I know we’re all on the way to knowing a little something. I can’t get it all myself, but I think all of us together can come up with some really good stuff. That’s what I hope to be able to do here. It’s like the miserable grey rainy days that make it possible for something good to happen – except I try not be too miserable.

Sometime this week, it’ll look more like Spring. I’m sure of it. In Minnesota this all comes in random coughs and stutters that never quite seem like they are going to say something important. But they do eventually. I hope I can say I did the same thing over the last year. And I hope it leads us all to something really good and useful.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate your being here more than I can tell you!