Hello Blog Readers I Am Here

Hello, Dear Blog Readers, I Am Here

A tweet the other morning read: “stop scrolling through here and write the thing you’ve been procrastinating.” It was enough motivation to remind me I have not blogged in a while. To be honest, I have not written a blog for a long time. Too long. Was the tweet a sign?

Earlier in the same week Ann Handley’s newsletter hit my inbox. “13 Ways to Better Blog Posts,“ was the title of her fortnightly newsletter. Clanging like one of those shiny silver, hotel front-desk service bells, the kind kids love to hit just once, Ann’s letter was a call to action.  Ding ding. Another sign?

Another blogger I follow suggested digging deep into the reasons I first started this blog and figuring out what caused the recent lapse. Life happens.

Countless titles popped into my head this summer. The Jitney, which I wrote about once. The public safety building issue that’s up for discussion and beach conditions, just to name a few topics rolling around in my head. The summer cranked along, the job change and accompanying (good) lifestyle adjustments seemed to prevent or at least make excuses, not reasons, for not posting to the blog.

So here we are.

Truthfully, this summer I felt like a rockstar. Most recently, sitting at the Mad Batter with my wife Suzanne, a woman asked, “Are you, John Cooke?” An avid reader of my posts, she identified me from social media. It pays to look like your profile photo. Even though I hadn’t posted on the blog, this person followed my Facebook and Instagram accounts. “I know about Cape May, through what you post,” she said. That has always been my passion. To inform, educate and entertain people about Cape May.

All summer long, folks stopped by my new place of employment. The fan club was how my new team members described those who stopped by. Beginning with the dairy farmers from the Pittsburg area, the Allen Family brought farm-fresh milk.

My dairy farmer friends were followed by pastors, musicians and even Father Christmas stopped by. Father Christmas was in town to promote the product line he represents, Old World Christmas ornaments.

Visitors weren’t the only ones who made me feel like a rock-star. A couple of on-camera interviews and live shots kept things interesting. Doing a live spot on News 12 outside the Ugly Mug on a rainy Friday night, was a great way of introducing me as the General Manager of the Sea Crest to the North New Jersey audience.

Dave Curren handled our interview with style and creativity. Guests checking in throughout the summer would ask if I was the guy on Channel 12, talking about what not to miss in Cape May. Justin Godynick opened the season with a road trip to Cape May and we chatted on camera outside the Sea Crest.

Hello Netflix

Season one is complete. Netflix hasn’t reached out for story rights but life is good. The cats are enjoying life on Broadway. And a welcoming committee of neighborhood cats has identified us as a possible food source. More on that later.

Suzanne has a new role in volunteering a couple of days a week at Habitat for Humanity’s Restore in Cape May Court House. Seeing what friends have purchased at the store is very interesting.

A Proverb in the Old Testament reads: Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. ( Yes, I just quoted the Bible.) The intent of my blog, my passion, is to continue to inform, illuminate and maybe educate from this side of Cape May.  As season one draws to a close, the sequel is just getting started.