Blogger of Jared

I’m sure you have noticed a new stranger in our midst who goes by the name of Okie. Well, it’s about time I got around to welcoming our newest guest contributor — I think he refuses to post until he is properly introduced. So, here goes.

As most who frequent this site know, Ryan and I founded this blog almost a year ago. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, and wanting to avoid looking like an internet “geek”, I purposely didn’t tell my friends and acquaintences at Church about my blog. This lasted until a few weeks ago when a buddy (Mike) from my ward taught the Elder’s Quorum lesson (mentioned here). I couldn’t resist bragging about Blogger of Jared.

The next day, Mr. Okie himself started poking his nose around these parts. He immediately expressed his frustration about there not being enough content on the blog. So, I extended an invitation for him to contribute. And because I’m lazy, it has taken me this long to publish an introduction.

Mike is a good guy! He teaches Elder’s Quorum every second Sunday; I teach every fourth Sunday (at least up until last Sunday; I’m jockying for a release because I’m now teaching suday school and double duty is going to kill me). Although he’ll attempt to deny it, Mike’s lessons are always the highlight of the month. So I’ve been expecting some good content out of him here. But I may have scared him off by mentioning that my boss at work knows about my blog. Well Mike, I want you to know you are hereby granted free reign; I’m quite confident in your abilities.

While Mike currently hails from the best Ward in the Church (Penasquitos 1st Ward), his genesis is the great plains; I think this explains the name Okie — and perhaps a few other things about him (we have granted him an exemption from our rule about Sooners). Nevertheless, it is at this time that I’d like to send out a little tribute to our boy from the dust bowl. Excuse my plagiarism of The Grapes of Wrath.

And then the dispossessed was drawn west- from Oklahoma; a man, dusted out, tractored out. A car-load, or was it a caravan, homeless and hungry. He has streamed over the mountains, hungry and restless - restless as an ant, desiring to blog with all his heart; scurrying to find co-bloggers - to explore, to argue, to expound, to dispute, to discuss - anything, any burden to bear, for blogging power.

Let the blogging begin, my friend from the dust bowl!