My name is Andrew Ferrell. I started this blog in order to push myself to share things about my life and my creative work that I barely share outside of my immediate family, and sometimes not even with them. I wanted to talk about being a father, a role I would have laughed at you about if you had asked me as a younger man if I even wanted kids. It is a role that I learn something new about daily and I would not trade it for the world. I wanted to share the ranting and raving that often occurs only in my own head.

On these counts, I think I have barely risen above failing. I have shared a few poems. I have pushed a few rants, commentaries on life, and even a chapter of my first novel. I haven’t really addressed any deep and meaningful issues from my life. I have really skirted around sharing much with any of the people who have been so kind to read my words. 2015 will be a better year. I promise.

I am the oldest of three boys raised in a southern home. Sweet tea, pecan pie, yes ma’am, no sir and all that comes with it. I have other siblings on my biological father’s side, but that would take another whole post to account that craziness, which isn’t really my focus here except how it relates to my own journey as a father. I am married to a wondeful woman who somehow puts up with my crazy perfectionism and peculiarity on a daily basis. No way can I be the easiest person to live with, so I love her all the more for putting up with me. She is my rock who keeps this sometimes airy Gemini grounded. My brothers and I have our separate lives and separate families, but the last year has seen us become a little closer and I am elated about that.

My goals this year are to share more of my writing and the challenges I see as a self-published author. I also hope to finish one of my other manuscripts, which will begin the journey of looking for an agent and publisher as well. I also want to share more of the challenges and lessons of fatherhood as my son is now ten years old and really starting to take on more teenage personality traits.

I hope that others will find a laugh or maybe some inspiration in my posts. I am ok with either. I have always been a bit afraid of opening myself up to even those around me. As I get older, I am realizing that I am not letting people in. Being just an observer in my own life is not what I want to be remembered as. There is an old country song where they say they want to be remembered as – a father, brother, neighbor, and a friend. That they want to be a good man.  I want to be remembered for those things. Perhaps along the way I can connect with this vast community out there on the world wide web and find some common ground with my readers out there.