Why am I doing this?
This is to share encouragement and engagement as I chronicle the wins, losses, and lessons learned as a Generation X-er soon to turn 60.
My name is Jeff Hoots, my day job is a certified public accountant specializing in small business accounting and tax planning. I’m doing this because this is a memoir in process about my imperfect but hopeful pursuit of making this season of life the best season.
I am an ordinary average guy, soon to turn 60, living in Midwest America. What you will read here started as long form journaling, now posted in traditional blog-and-comment format. Perhaps you and I, dear reader, may find common ground, encouragement, inspiration, lessons learned, and moving forward as I chronicle life as I’m living it in the 21st Century. What I hope to catch in my pursuit is contentment, optimism, and hope; done the right way.
Maybe you’ve found your favorite Instagram and Facebook influencers who do a great job reminding us of how awesome the 80s were. I have my favorites too. Maybe you’ve gone deeper and read the books and blogs about Gen-Xers – I have as well. It is great looking back and wishing I still had my original Journey, Phil Collins, and (gasp!) Dr. Demento vinyl albums. The cassette tapes too. I’ll concede that we are influenced by our times (so is everybody else), be it the music, movies, TV, what parents did and didn’t do, what our teachers did and didn’t do. Being a child of the 80s is great, also not so great. We are influenced by but not defined by that.
Many of us spent the 80s, then the 90s, now the 2000s finishing school, working through a career or two, raising a family or two, collecting life experiences one day at a time. Is that you? Hopefully you will find this corner of cyberspace a place for you because we have common goals of living well right here right now. Not that we have done this perfectly.
What this blog is not:
Not about how I graduated at the top of my class, was the golden boy of business, raised perfect kids and retired at 50, that’s someone else’s blog / podcast / YouTube. Instead, this is about what is going well, what’s not going well, the lessons learned, and the go-forwards.
F (or not so F) AQs
Will reading about my life help you live yours better? Writing about it has helped me live my life better, so maybe I can be of help. Like you, I win some, lose some, have good days and bad days. I try my best – with honesty and humor. If you have found yourself all grown up, maybe this blog is for you.
Is it a lifestyle blog? Maybe if that means the ups and downs of the day-to-day.
Is it a travel blog? Maybe if that means an occasional camping weekend, bicycle rail-trail, day trip…
Is it a fitness blog? Maybe if that means thinking about keeping my health and an occasional bike tour striving to bicycle 25-30 miles without a heart attack.
It is a finance blog? Maybe if that means keeping to a budget and saving a few dollars here and there.
Is it a faith-based blog? It won’t take long to observe my writing is Theocentric. I’m an amateur hack theologian, I don’t need to know more things, I need to live what I know. Most of what I write about is trying to not just read the Word, but also do what it says.
Have I blogged before? Once upon a time I thought I’d be the world’s greatest Dad Blogger, my attempt is still at www.jeffhoots.net
Thank you for reading this far!
Best regards,
Jeff