2009 The Year in "Pre"view

4 lines from a lazy poet, her epitaph read , only after loudly voicing her annoyance at being approached by yet another autograph seeker. Granted, she was the most popular girl in school, but we were in the sixth grade! I had hoped for nothing more than a brief memento of the even briefer time we had spent together over the last several years, something I could go back to and read with a combination of melancholy and affection.

4 lines from a lazy poet, written haphazardly underneath four hastily drawn horizontal lines on a purple page in an album, loosely considered to be our yearbook.

"In days of old when knights were bold and toilets weren't invented..."

I don't remember the rest, but that one sure made for a memorable piece of whimsy which still makes me laugh. More than one of my classmates had graced my pages with that fine display of literature, Plagiarism alive and well amongst our graduating class.

Moving up, I have to remind myself. We merely Moved Up from Grade School.

4 lines from a lazy poet, followed by her signature. I won't identify her by name (Sue) because that would be unfair, yet what a disappointment coming from not only the most popular girl in class, but from the valedictorian as well.

"Another one," she complained, her arms thrust towards the ceiling. "Everyone loves me, I know."

This is not a story about love lost, or first heartbreak.

Remarkably, I realize now that her brief uncaring brush-off is actually a golden ticket of sorts. It has taken me more than three decades to realize and appreciate the gift that she had entrusted to the mere hands of one of her many sixth grade subordinates.

A License to be lazy!

Now that I am aware of what is in my possession, I am unsure of just how to go about using it. While I am not exactly going to the gym these days, laziness is almost a foreign concept to me. Trying to maintain two blog sites, write a column for a local magazine, working far too many hours at a job I actually get paid to do, and balancing family responsibilities is no easy task. 2008 proved a great writing year for me, and it is my hope that 2009 might follow in the same vein. There are still many tales to tell as I continue this journey through my life via the world of blogging. Unfortunately, I have not felt the calling of late to sit in front of the computer and begin the task of relaying them. It is, however with this in mind, that I have decided to put to use my thirty-four year old license to be lazy.

Think about it.

Recording artists, in the guise of releasing Greatest Hits collections are actually doing what?

Being Lazy!

As my December deadline at Forest Hills Celebrity & Entertainment approached, I had almost considered following in the footsteps of so many of the aforementioned musicians and submitting a greatest hits collection of my own.

The Best of Morty 2008.

I had it all figured out too. I would preface these brief synopses of some of my writings by welcoming all new readers and allowing them a glimpse into the past (back issues, I think they call it in the biz).

I know what you're thinking.

It's brilliant!

Common sense and my fine work ethic prevailed however, moving that idea to the proverbial back burner. Instead, I put my writing to good use that issue, drawing attention to a small group of car enthusiasts who spend their time raising money for a local children's hospital. It proved both enlightening and heartwarming, adding an entirely new dimension to my holiday season.

As I now feel pressed for time, not having posted in nearly a month, I have decided that in the interest of getting something online, I would take a semi-lazy path and provide you, the reader, with a preview of what is to come in 2009.

When I launched this site in December of '06, it began with a tale of my adolescent life, first love and its corresponding first kiss. Remarkably, through lots of shameless self-promotion, that memoir not only reached its intended target audience, but so touched some of those involved that a book project is now getting underway. Only in its infant stages as I write this, it is our combined hope to publish something by year's end. "Return to Innocence," marked my return to the written word following over two decades of literary silence. It also landed me the official title of columnist (which I can't mention enough) in the aforementioned periodical. As I attempt to find time to work towards publishing a historical account of the location in which Innocence had taken place, I plan to revisit that first posting. Having grown far more comfortable with the entire writing process, I cringe now whenever I take a gander back at my blogging debut. The impending result will be an extreme makeover, hopefully with a somewhat more appealing title.

My second posting; Odd Jobs: A Resume' for Disaster (wow, I'm good with titles) loosely hinted at my long and varied work history in a number of different occupational areas. Wait until you hear of my brief stint as a perfume salesman ripping off the unsuspecting public with knock-offs. SUCCESSFULLY!

While nothing may seem more ridiculous than delivering false teeth, at least that position was reputable.

(I am hoping I may have piqued your curiosity enough to take a trip back through the archives for a better understanding of what I am talking about). While you're back there, take a look at "Tales from the VW," a hysterical romp outlining my earliest driving experiences. There are still plenty of tales untold from that Smokey and the Bandit, Dukes of Hazzard era if you catch my drift.

Recently my son explained to me what a bad, disgusting friend the vacuum cleaner is.

Hey, he's only five.

I argued with him.

Mr. Hoover, my mom's late 70's upright model became a very close friend of mine one summer 1981 night, an early drinking tale that will either have you grabbing your sides to hold in the explosion of laughter, or find you shaking your head in disgust or dismay.

Recently, Justin sat upon my lap in front of the computer, proudly showing me a few scribbled notes on a post-it.

"What's that," I asked.

"It says blogged by Justin. I wrote people about the 1980's"

For now, I will keep his blog out of the spotlight. Five years of age is too soon for the public airing of his dirty laundry.

Mine on the other hand...?

Music, love, laughter, tears (maybe tears).
It's all coming your way in 2009.