There and Back Again

If this is the first time you’ve visited this blog, or even if you have had a chance to read a few posts, you may be wondering what this blog is all about. If you are a regular visitor, you might still be wondering - you should also be congratulated for sticking with me this far.

On this auspicious centennial occasion, I have pledged to give you a quick run down on how this blog started, what its reasons are for being, and whether it’s going to be worth your while visiting again during its next hundred or so posts – a daunting thought!

When and why was it built?

Construction began in May 2008 as part of the Comment Challenge - a set of reflective learning tasks for commenters and beginner bloggers. May was not an easy month for me. During that time, the framework of the blog was put in place on a foundation of blood, sweat and tears.

Before June, the blog generated 24 posts (and well over 100 comments). Many of these posts related directly to the assignments given by Michele Martin to help me to become a blogger. Michele is to be thanked profusely for her patience, advice, determination and her attempts to create a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

Why Blogger?

I’d like to think that the ‘Blogger’ bit is evident. But in all fairness to the critical thinking reader, I chose ‘Blogger’ because:

• It’s the nickname of the provider of my blog.

• I always wanted to be a blogger (at least since the end of last century).

• The sound of the word connotes someone who is down-to-earth (cf. bog (ger), logger, etc) and I think of myself as a down-to-earth straight thinker. (I know! Many will dispute this. So?)

Why Middle-earth?

Middle-earth is the name that J R R Tolkien gave to the mythical land of the hobbits. It is also the name given affectionately to Wellington City by Peter Jackson who has a home there. He is the Oscar-winning film producer whose genius blossomed in his Lord of The Rings film trilogy, premiered in Wellington.

Much of that epic was filmed in Wellington. As well, Weta Workshop is in Wellington. Weta created the amazing animated creatures and other props used in the making of the trilogy.

I live in Wellington, so the Middle-earth part of the name is relevant on several counts. The same reasoning sprang to mind when I named my little book published last year, called Sonnets of Middle-earth. Though my interest is poetry, what I write may not be.

Why astronomy?

The use of observations of planets, stars and other phenomena in the cosmos dates back thousands of years. Through watching the stars, legend has it that around 950 AD, Kupe navigated his way to the shores of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Astronomy is part of the culture and folklore that belong to the Māori people of Aotearoa.

Regular visitors may have noticed that, occasionally, I write a post related to astronomy (not astrology). No, I’m not an astronomer. But I do have an interest in Science. Believe it or not, astronomy was the first true Science.

Why learning?

Science and knowledge are often said to be one and the same. Many people believe that knowledge can only be acquired through a journey into learning. Which brings us to another reason for this blog.

Of the hobbits who lived in Middle-earth, one or two in particular went on what were amazing journeys, there and back again. With the help of others, they brought back many secrets. My hope is that, in this blog, we can continue our journeys of exploration, into the little-known land of elearning.

Who knows what treasure we may bring back?