So How Are YOU Doing?

I must say, I'm as surprised to be here as you may be. My name is Jim McFarlin, and you could have bet me a whole pile o' money that I would never have elected to write a blog.

I'm a writer by profession, you see. I've been writing for a living ever since I graduated from college, and the only time I can remember doing it for free was when I was still IN college, covering pop music for The Anchor newspaper at Hope College in Holland, Mich.

I know many fine wordsmiths who literally live to write: If they're not blogging, they're keeping a journal, working on a spec script or composing poetry. They seem so happy, so lighthearted. I've always envied them. Me, I grew up writing to live. If there was no paycheck attached to the project, I'd rather be in front of the tube watching a game. Any game, but especially a contest involving one of my beloved Detroit sports franchises.

About a year ago, however, something happened that changed my perspective slightly: I was diagnosed with Stage IV kidney failure. Now at Stage V, I'm told, you should start consulting with morticians and florists, so on balance Stage IV isn't too bad. We'll talk more about the illness later, but along the way Rebecca Powers, my wonderful editor at HOUR Detroit magazine where I am a regular contributor, asked if I would write a first-person account of my condition for their annual medical issue.

Now, I like writing about myself as much as I enjoy waterboarding, but after considerable prodding she talked me into it. The article came out in September 2009, and the reader response was unlike anything I've ever experienced – emotional, heartfelt and caring. It made me begin thinking that maybe if I talked about my condition in greater detail, other people might find comfort, or inspiration, or information...or SOMETHING that might help them in some way.

So here I am. HOUR Detroit, in its wisdom, never posts the online edition of its magazine until the newsstand sales have died down, so I don't expect to see the story on the Internet until sometime in October. When it arrives, I'll post a link to it and we'll kick it around a bit together.

My life has changed so dramatically in such a short time: In the last six months I've moved to a different state, from the city to the country, gotten married and assumed co-parenting duties for two amazing 9-year-old twins. Oh, and that kidney thing. We'll talk about it all eventually, I have no doubt. For now, however, welcome to my blog (I NEVER thought I'd read those words!) and let's see how our journey goes from here.