Light in her Eyes

I began my first “blog” (and I make that a quoted title because a decade ago – which was when that occurred – blogs were a completely different fad than the entity they are today) in college as a means to have my electronic voice heard amid the chatter that was just forming in what would become the Interwebs.  That was two years before I would start a “Photo a Day” blog inspired by my dear friend Stephanie Jeter – who is now a Cannon and mother of two (how time flies).  As with many steps forward in a positive direction I have taken in life, it was also an inspiration from my parents.  So many new and interesting sights, so many long, lonely roads across the country.  It was a way for me to stay in touch with special people, to show them the wonders (relatively speaking) I’d seen and the musings I had about them.

It was, too, a way to stay focused on the “little things”.  Battling depression in a state I didn’t know, no friends, a then-boyfriend in what felt like a different country (and having now been out of Texas for eight years, I can comment that this is not necessarily an overstatement), traveling five days a week in a job I didn’t understand.  I forget that the man I work for now (who continues to be a joy and a privilege to have as a manager) was my corporate “Mentor” then.  I cringe to think of the girl with whom he had to endure mentoring meals.  In fact, I cringe at a lot of things.  Eight years is a long time.

Since then, with Smart Phones and Facebook, Instragram (the online version of my little blog), Pinterest, Twitter, have completely changed the landscape of a person’s online presence.  If I were honest, this has been a long time coming.  Facetime and iMessage make keeping in pictorial contact with the people about whom I care the most a breeze of a button push.  I didn’t create the blog to be a part of the din of people needing to express just how fantastic their lives were in word and pictures on a daily, and in many cases hourly or sooner, basis.  But kept feeling that this was the ledge off which it was slipping.  I lost interest in updating, because most likely I’d already texted the ‘rents a photog, or had pinned the idea, or shared it with those I thought would appreciate.

Six months ago (!!!) I quit Facebook.  That was a big first step.  It was strange, initially, not being a part of peoples’ daily lives.  I don’t want to stand on a soapbox, having so long been a part of the crowd of faces upturned in the Sun of Online Life.  But let me say this: we are being blinded one tweeted Instagram at a time.

It is with that sentiment, and with a bit of nostalgia, that I post for the last time on 1001 Words.  As has been obvious in many posts, I have downsized my life, my footprint, my presence, my habits.  I am attracted by simplification and the use of what we already have and the tools at our disposal to not just make life easier, but to make it full.  This is a step I am taking to continue down that path.  I’ve simplified the online tools I use to Google (mail, docs, etc.), Evernote, and Pinterest.  All three keep me organized, energized, on track, and are available on any platform I might need. 

Brainstorming with Mike, we also came up with a way we could continue the “Photo a Day” (because it’s enjoyable, and it’s a way to look back and remember – “wait, when was the first time we went to the Chalk Art Festival?” “We were in Seattle in 2009” “No, Hon, it was AFTER we lost all the weight” etc.) that would not be time-consuming and could remain a fun hobby.  He even helped me with the name (because, in Classic Kendra style, there’s a theme here): Life Happens.  When ALL of your boards are only two words it makes for interesting development discussions…

If you want to continue to follow the new “blog,” please check out the Pinterest Board dedicated to it:

The past eight years have seen six zone changes and life as an office dweeb, three moves, several weddings, a plethora of puppies, friends with kids and friends who will never be the same.  Countless projects and several cancer scares.  The coming and going of family, and the travels of the Clayton Clan. 1001 Words was there to chronicle.  And Pinterest is here to do the same on a smaller scale now. 

Life is beautiful; I realize now that there’s no one to whom I need to prove this.  Just one person I need to ensure never loses sight of it.  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to do just that.