Long before the advent of social media, I shared a series of email opinions some would not incorrectly characterize as rants or screeds I titled “The Curmudgeon’s Corner.”
A curmudgeon is defined as a cranky, ill-tempered individual, often characterized as a grumpy old man, more than a little stubborn. While I am not the sort of neighbor who refuses to pass out candy to costumed children on Halloween or shoo away little ones who are on my lawn, confiscating balls that have landed on my side of the fence, the sobriquet largely fit.
For various reasons, the emailed Curmudgeon’s Corner faded away. A few years later I discovered Facebook and began to use it as my preferred platform (the initial 140 character limit of Twitter was too limiting). As I became more outspoken on political, social and moral issues, particularly after retirement from full-time local church ministry, some friends on the social media platform expressed strong negative opinions of my posted opinions, directly or implicitly stating they not only did not share my opinions, but believed a man of the cloth should not share them.
A much younger, social media savvy person recently suggested that I start a blog. My wife, The Beloved, had made a similar suggestion a few years ago. I have decided to follow his and her suggestions. It is time for this old dog to learn a new trick or two in the digital world.
If you were a recipient of “The Curmudgeon’s Corner” in the old days of group emails, you will probably wonder what happened to the curmudgeon you once knew. I’m still me, but I am not the me I was 20+ years ago nor the one who really did restrain his opinions while in the pulpit.
Whether you agree with me or not (and like most curmudgeons I tend to believe that those who agree are right and those who do not are misguided), I hope you will read them and at least accept that they are the words of a man who is reasonably intelligent and well-educated, a person of deep faith, passion and hope.
The Curmudgeon’s Corner 