David S. Demarest

(This was originally written in May of 2009)

One evening some weeks ago I was visiting with one of our local councilmembers.  I knew he had followed my postings during my travels in 2008, but I did not know he was continuing to check back to see what else had transpired.  He told me he enjoyed my writing and hoped I would write more!  His compliment is appreciated.

As I look periodically at my online Cluster Map, I can see that others also are visiting.  Since the maps are updated monthly, it is possible to determine the level of activity, and from where that activity has come.  It may well be that they are all first time visitors stumbling upon the site with the help of Google, but I would like to think there may be a few that are coming back to see what is new.  That I can not tell.

I believe I have heard it said that writing is not so much about the end result, but rather the process.  In the case of an author writing a story this may be not so true, but when one is writing about their own life perhaps it is.  At the end of the day, is it most important that someone reads what I write – or that I did write?  For me, I suspect it is the latter.

On May 1, I thought briefly about a year ago when I departed for Beijing.  My thoughts were only brief, as I was getting ready to fly to Colorado on the 3rd for my annual fishing trip with my cousin Pete.  As I sat in the airport the morning of the 3rd, I thought again about my 2008 trip.  In so many ways it seems so long ago, and yet it has only been a year!

As I write this page today, the date is May 17th.  One year ago today, I was in Sarajevo, contemplating the atrocities that tormented the residents of that part of the world thirteen or so years back.  Needless to say, it is tragic that today wars continue in numerous parts of our world, and I am certain they will continue in the future as they always have in the past. 

In November, I wrote a piece sharing the changes that I had made, as well as a bit about my near term plans.  Those plans included preparing for tax season with H&R Block, a greater emphasis on commercial real estate, and more time volunteering with the Wooden Boat Center in Seattle.

Tax season was great! I studied hard, learned a lot, and met a huge variety of people from all walks of life. There were a few that shed tears of relief and happiness, and a few that shed tears of frustration and pain. There were some that were stoic and even angry, and others that were engaging, interesting, and very enjoyable. In many ways I was sad to see the season end, and if available I anticipate being back next year with even more education and training.

My pursuit of commercial real estate has been slow. Given the continued state of the real estate market in general, that is probably not much of a suprise to anyone. I have a few listings, and there is some activity. I continue to offer my support to the Windermere Real Estate office in Monroe, and expect I will continue to do so. Not only for me, but also for all those impacted by the difficult markets we continue to experience, I hope the market further improves as 2009 progresses.

Volunteering continues to be a priority. Unfortunately, the Wooden Boat Center has not evolved as quickly as I had hoped. The fault is mine – they will take whatever I have to give in way of time – so far it has proved more difficult that I anticipated to schedule the time. Hopefully that is changing. This past weekend Sally and I drove into Seattle Saturday afternoon. I went to the Center where I worked on some maintenance projects and then cut small boat models for the various kids programs, and Sally went to Pike Place Market. It worked well!

I have never cared for writers that ramble, so I detest the idea of being one. It is time for me to close. Before I do, however, there is one more item I wish to explore.

I titled this post “To Write or Not to Write”. It is meant as a rhetorical question, and one that is directed at me. As I mentioned earlier, I believe my writing is first and foremost something I do for my own benefit. If there are others that enjoy what I write, so much the better. Your interest is appreciated and taken as a compliment. I thank you.

This blog was originally launched with the primary purpose of being a medium for me to share my 2008 trip with those that were interested in keeping track of where I was and what I was experiencing. In ways, it also became a story of who I am, as I shared some of my frustrations with work and life. Going forward, it may well be that this blog evolves into something more, perhaps less focused on me and my activities, and more focused on those issues I find interesting. We will see. For now, I shall from time to time continue to write, and hope that in the process of doing so there are those that find what I have to say interesting and enjoyable.