It is time

I swore I wouldn’t do it again, but here I am. This time, I’m on my own.

For those who don’t know me, my name is Rhonda and for much of the past decade or so, I was one of the owners of Daily Duranie. I wrote four days a week, managed the blog as webmaster, handled most of the social media, and burnt myself out. I haven’t written much since October of 2021, and in January of this year, I walked away.

I’m promising myself that this time, it will be different. First off, you’ll notice the name. There’s no “Daily” in there! There may be times I can in fact, write and publish daily. There may be weeks or months when I only write occasionally. I’ll write what I want to write, when I want to write. Secondly, I haven’t figured out anything beyond writing this very post today. I don’t know if I’ll do meet ups again, for example. Not really sure about Twitter (I’m on there, but not as myself – I’m currently @EncoresClub), Heavens to Betsy (weirdest phrase I’ve written in a blog yet, but it is my first day, first blog, and who really cares?) I have no idea if I’ll do a Facebook page, and the same goes for Instagram.

So why even start a brand new blog? Good question. I’m not sure I have a good answer yet. Part of it – most of it, really – I miss writing! Just think about it. For nearly twelve years I woke up each morning and wrote about Duran Duran. To suddenly stop felt very odd. In some ways, it was a giant relief. No website pressure, no stress, no having to behave a certain way or say certain things to stay out of trouble. (I’ve never been good at that anyway!) In other ways though, I felt empty(ish). Future Past is an album – probably the only Duran Duran album – that I really don’t know. Sure, I’ve listened to it. Yes, I love Invisible, Hammerhead, and More Joy. Don’t ask me to sing the words – because I don’t think I know them. That alone has felt very, very, strange.

Some of this, to be sure, has to do with my age. At 51, I’m busy. Aren’t we all? I chuckle when I think back on 2005 and seeing Duran Duran in Chicago. I was only 35! At the time, I still felt like a kid, and probably acted like it too! 16 years later, I’m not running after toddlers or even preschoolers anymore. I thought I’d slow down. HA! My oldest daughter turned 25 this year. What?!? My son turned 23 last week, and my youngest girl is about to start high school. Good LORD, what in the hell happened?!? Last year we moved my mom close to me, and recently her sister moved in with her. I take care of both of them during the week, drive my youngest to school and to activities (there are a lot more activities now that she’s starting high school – I’d forgotten what being a shuttle driver is really like!). I can’t focus on Duran Duran the way I once did. Again, weird!!

Then, there’s my community band. I started as a Vice-President, then our President moved away, and somehow I found myself standing in front of a podium as the President. This isn’t a small thing, as it turns out. It is definitely not the same as running a local chapter of the MOMS Club, or even as being on the board of the school PTA. This is akin to running a small corporation, and it takes up most of my time, but I’m very proud of the work we do for local young musicians, and I adore playing my clarinet. Rest assured, I haven’t been sitting at home crying in my cereal every morning. There’s no time for that!

Here’s the thing: I have no idea what I’m doing here. I don’t know where this is headed, or how it will all go. I’m just sort of winging it, and we’ll see what comes. I like where this is going.

Are you coming too?

-R (did you think I’d sign it any other way?)