Last Post?

Dear blog-readers:


I wanted to let you know that I am going to take a break from the Tae Kwon Do Mom blog.


I have loved keeping this blog over the past 2 1/2 years. It's been great to share my story about becoming a student of the martial arts and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.


It's the story aspect of this blog that I've so enjoyed. Lots of people think of blogs as on-line diaries, but I've never thought of Tae Kwon Do Mom that way. It's been a story, with a focus, conflict (peaceful and wimpy middle-aged woman learns a combative sport), plot (will she get a black belt?), and, of course, really interesting characters. There's also been research (those hyper-links and quotes from books, etc.), photos, and your wonderful comments, too.


There have been some side-stories along the way, too--my children quitting TKD, the time Eli got hit by a car, my parents' deaths, and Robbie's rejoining TKD. I've loved having readers to share all that with!


But another thing a story has is a beginning, a middle, and an end.


I feel like I've come to an end with this blog. I'm not sure, but I think maybe.


Getting a black belt isn't necessarily an end for any martial artist, but it does provide some closure to the story of this blog. And my son rejoining this spring brings me back full circle (you may remember that my children started TKD before I did).

Now that I've achieved that closure, some of the necessary tension is gone from my blog's story-line. There are still moments of frustration and puzzlement for me in my training in TKD, but not enough to drive a plot. My blog is starting to feel like an on-line diary. That may (or may not) be interesting to readers, but I'm not sure I want to continue it.


I'm taking a break to think about this. Maybe I'll come back to this blog, maybe not. At any rate, it will stay posted here on blogspot.

I'm not going to quit Tae Kwon Do. I had no idea it would come to be such an important part of my life--I'll keep doing it as long as I can; maybe I'll see some of you at tournaments!

Of course I'm going to keep on writing--my usual free-lance stuff, posts on KarateForums, emails to many of you, my writing notebooks . . . and maybe once the blog is done, another big writing project will arise for me. I don't know.

Maybe I'll even make this blog into a book (or "blook" as they call it).


So thanks for being part of this TKD/writing journey. And if you want to stay in touch through email, drop me a comment and let me know your e-address!

I'll always be . . . .
Tae Kwon Do Mom.