After church, I sat around and played video games all day. I have a bunch of nothing to write about. I could fill up the space with one of my pre-written pieces I’m saving for an emergency – like “How I Became a Yes-Man” or “Shelley’s Trip to Medellin” (like that, folks? That’s what we in the English biz like to call "foreshadowing!" Just to whet your appetite!) but I’m not gonna. Instead, I’m going to talk about the name of my blog, “Leaving My Mark.” It’s a pun, you see, because my name is Mark. And also, it being a type of journal-blog, “Leaving My Mark” could mean “making an impact on the world,” but it could also mean, “leaving myself behind,” i.e., growing more experienced and mature. Fiendishly clever, eh? Wait till you hear the rejected titles of my blog!

“On Your Mark” (I quickly rejected this one. Unpleasant memories of high school dogpiles came to mind.)
“Mark of the Beast” (Just to annoy hyper-paranoid Christian fundamentalists.)
“Mark of the Best” (A pun, not only on my name, but also on the previously-rejected title, turning an image of Satanic horror into an image of personal excellence. I liked it, but I was afraid I’d have to explain it to too many people.)

Of course, I could have named it like a rock band, and named it something pretty much random and evocative, like “Fishbed Dreams” or “Renegade Isomorphs” or something, but nothing really struck me, and, from my previous experience running a website, I knew that I’d get lots of emails like:

what does REandage Ixomarfs mean?! thata’s a stupedst name I eavew herasd!

You see, most people who have to ask for names like “Renegade Isomorphs” to be explained to them are generally none-too-quick on the uptake, and have subpar typing skills. It’s a wonder they can find the “send” button.

“Leaving My Mark,” on the other hand, requires no explanation. Think about it: I’ve been writing this for over two-and-a-half weeks without an explanation of the title, and nobody’s asked me about it. (Or that may be because nobody except you is reading this. And you couldn’t find the “send” button.)

I guess I could have titled the blog, “Mark’s Corner,” since that’s the URL address I’m using, but I liked “Leaving My Mark” better. But what am I, some kind of naming expert? If you think you have a better name for my blog, just post it in the “Comments” forum. If I like your idea, I might just change the name of my blog! (And rude “suggestions” will be deleted. Of course. As always. I run a family forum here, folks. Take your filthy talk somewhere else.) If I don’t get any suggestions, I’ll just assume that my instincts were correct and I’ll leave it as “Leaving My Mark.”

Last comment I made to Dann: “You think wet dogs smell bad? Try a burning cat!” (Just a little snippet of my life, folks. I’ll let you reconstruct the conversation.)