First thoughts

I have toyed with the idea of creating a blog for a long time now. My idea behind the blog is to create a place to put my thoughts down, about the things I see and do. Initially the postings to this blog will be very random, but hopefully as I increase my postings they will become more focused on specific topics I am most interested in.
My first idea for creating a blog was to get the message out that Dads are important parts of a family structure, for the past 6 years I have been extremely involved in working with custodial and non-custodial fathers helping them become the best men they can be, by showing them what it means to be a father. The responsibilities, the fun and the difficulties that are experienced as a child grows from infant to child to adult, with Dad as his or her most important role model along the way.

Another area I am keenly interested in is Adult Education. I truly believe that earning a High School Diploma is a necessity in the working world we live in. I don't believe everyone needs the level of education required to achieve a High School Diploma, but that they need that piece of paper to prevent roadblocks that may pop up as they make their way to their desired career goal or goals. What I mean is that I have met people that have not graduated from High School that are extremely intelligent, people that have knowledge that can not be demonstrated by taking a test. These people have skills and abilities that surpass the simple skills learned in high schools, unfortunately a slip of paper or lack there of, can lock them out of careers that would be beneficial to their families and the communities they live in. More on this in a future blog.

Now for some fun stuff, My favorite pastime currently is called Geocaching. Geocaching is an online and offline adventure using a GPS receiver and coordinates for a cache container, provided by the website www.geocaching.com. After entering the coordinates in your portable GPS, you are off on a search that will take you to places inside and outside of you very own neighborhood that you may have never known existed. I have seen views across the Delaware Bay from a top a 200ft fire tower, and been in forests so thick that you would find it hard to believe Baltimore and Washington DC are less than 1 or 2 hours away. I have paddled on ponds, lakes and rivers across both Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia finding unique places of natural, and sometimes historical value. I have been on wooden covered bridges less than an hour from my home and climbed cliffs so steep and high that one slip would have surely resulted in severe injuries. I have become part of an unique community of what are called "cachers" all in search of the next cache hide. This activity could be considered a near obsession for some and an addiction for many. My son travels on many of my trips into the woods or across the states looking for these hidden little treasures.
I think this is enough for my very first post in the future I will go into much more detail for each of these topics I have introduced here.