To my dearest, darling, dazzling reader of strayjuniormint,

I’ve been meaning to write to you for some time.  Forgive the tardiness of this letter, but whenever I sit down to key it, I get distracted by musings over good books, bad movies, and the asinine inexplicability of my bedroom dimmer switch.  (That last one really does keep me up night–quite literally.)  But this letter has been forming in my heart and head for months, maybe years, and it’s time we talk about a few things.

The first, and most important, point of discussion is how deeply grateful I am to you for reading this blog.  Your time is valuable and limited, and that you would take even a few minutes each week to come visit me here is a compliment of the highest order.  I know you are a smart, engaging person with infinite voices clamoring for your attention, and that I’ve elbowed my way into your world for even a moment is all the validation I need to keep writing.  (If you can call what I do on this blog writing.  I’m not too sure, but “writing” is a much nicer word than whining, or mocking, or flat-out spewing.)  But any way you slice it, my “writing” only accomplishes its purpose when you read it.  So thank you thank you thank you.  What a gift that is to me.

Second only to my gratitude for you is my curiosity about you.  Who are you?  Where do you live?  What do you do?  What do you like to do?  Are you blond or brunette, quiet or loud, a boy or a girl?  Do you like to go out or stay in?  Mexican or Thai, peanut or plain, Darcy or Rochester?  (And if you’re a boy: ESPN or A&E?  No wrong answers here.)  Do you have kids, no kids, done raising kids?  Or maybe you are a kid.  That would be fun.  That would make my day.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, will you drop me a line and tell me about yourself?  Do you have a story?  Do you have an idea?   Do you have a life motto?

Do you have a dog?  

I’ve been thinking about who my readers are and, more specifically, who you are.  And here is how I imagine–no, believe–you to be:

• intelligent
• funny
• fun
• unassuming
• curious
• sentimental, but a little bit
• skeptical
• responsible, but a little bit
• frazzled, though this is certainly
• not your fault
• compassionate
• interested
• responsible (for many others besides yourself)
• committed (to many others besides yourself)
• exhausted
• exhilirated
• exasperated, but mostly
• thankful.

Does this sound like you?  If so, please keep reading.  If not, please keep reading–and tell me who you really are.  You can post below or send me an email at jensmith00@gmail.com if you want to keep it between us.  (btw:  Can you believe “jensmith” wasn’t already taken when I signed up for gmail?  First time ever that my name was available to me.  Ah, google.)

Thank you, dear friend, for taking the time to read my letter and hopefully respond in kind.  I am so anxious to get to know you, I might put lipliner on before opening my inbox tomorrow.  Just ’cause.

In the meantime, have a wonderful, whimsical Wednesday knowing that you being here has made mine so, already.

Love,

Jen

p.s.  Please forgive the weak joke and use of literally in the opening paragraph.  I was indulging.  Literally needs to go away for a long, long time until it’s learned how to behave itself in modern conversation. Then maybe we’ll invite it back, on a severely limited basis.  Agreed?