a delayed arrival

Hello friends, acquaintances, strangers. My name is Will.

Ever since the rough idea of what has now manifested itself as the tortoise was orignally conceived, I was very supportive. A group creative outlet has been bounced around and attempted for years now, but never successfully executed. Despite my initial enthusiam, I found that sparse internet availability and an ironic lack of "initiative" were obstacles too big to overcome. Enough motivation remained, however, to check in from time to time. What I discovered was that in my absence a small community was thriving. Now, after much delay I find myself standing on the welcome mat, trying not to scuff it with my muddy shoes.

Just like a father serving a prison sentence while his newborn child is quickly developing, I feel very deep regret for missing the tortoise's first steps. Upon my metaphorical release, and actual inception, I realize there is still time left to teach the tortoise how to ride a bike. In an effort to make up for all that I have missed, I am instituting two cardinal rules for myself.

First, I will struggle to be open, which is quite a lofty goal with my pinky backspacing more than my fingers are typing. This is a much more critical environment than I have been affiliated with in the past. That is not to say that the current condition is stifling creativity, but when you come from a background of constant back-pats, so much as a "your last post was okay" can seem harsh. Obviously, my former experiences were not very conducive to progress so I would like to go ahead and welcome any future criticism one might have.

Secondly, I will not deal in putting down another's work. The last thing I want is to advocate the same attitude that makes me cautious of posting. While I may have a few critiques, they will remain constructive and never be voiced in a joking manner. To be supportive is to aid in the growth of others and of myself, which is my intention.

Now that all the formalities are out of the way, all thats left is to sit back and muse over what my favorite things about the tortoise initiative will be. Maybe it will be perusing past posts, and giggling over all the grammatical errors we've made? Or being so filled with inspiration that I stay up until midnight just so the post will be on my day? Or the mixers that we'll attend with people from other blogs? Oh boy, oh boy.