I have a lot of people I must write. The mandatory list is mine. I have a number of people, not old friends, but interesting ones, that I like to keep in touch with. No one feels the same obligation to me that I hold for them. I’ll be lucky if one in five responds—when? Christmas? See, I don’t know anyone now who knew my parents or my brother or early history (in Winnipeg), or who attended university when I did, or high school. Forget the. years or the buildings. I gave my yearbooks to my archives collection. They no longer have any meaning for me.

A few years ago I started wondering about my past. “Whatever happened to so-an-so?” I looked them up on the net, places and names. Maiden and married names used to be hard, and titles, if any. I guess digital searches are fast, especially if you hit an obituary, which I did, too often. I finally quit looking.

Next question.

This is what happens when you live too long, as I have. I have lost family and friends and acquaintances. Also business and professional contacts (publishers editors, producers, agents, etc.), to say nothing of doctors, dentists, hairdressers—and readers. I cherish the few of you who read my erratic blog.

No. It’s a generic blog and the details above add up to the reason for my maintaining it at all. Because I will be writing the same general letter to a number of people, telling them the same facts and dates and thoughts (if any). It’s a lot of work, correcting my and my laptop’s typos. Better to write one letter and copy and paste, with an occasional personal addendum. Thus—a generic blog.

One size fits all?