Brunansky's Blog

“Are there memories left that are safe from the clutches of phony anniversaries?” -Pope Paul VI

What is an anniversary? Is it not simply the acknowledgement of time passing while one stays committed to a particular idea or thing. The more time that passes the more people seem to value it, whatever it might be.

This entry acknowledges an anniversary.  The ten year anniversary of Brunansky’s Blog! What started off as probably a late night, wickedly drunk, idea has blossomed into something more complex. Together, we’ll answer the question posed by a Pope.

Ten years ago I was 30 years old. Perhaps the milestone birthday was the initial seed of a thought. A thought that would grow into this blog. I cannot say with certainty why I chose 2012. I am more certain that I was drunk when I did it.

During that year life was on the up and up. Everything was moving in what felt like the proper direction. I was living close enough to the day job that the drive wasn’t awful. I was within walking distance to restaurants, bars, clubs, the gym and the grocery store. I just bought myself a Camaro for my thirtieth birthday. I was gigging with a band and was in a relationship. My dog and I were doing well. And for some reason, after I turned 30, I decided to create this blog. And then my first post would go live for you, the readers.

The first post was only 76 words.  It dropped in December of 2012. You can read it here. Why did I decide to write my first entry in December if it wasn’t about Christmas you might be wondering? Perhaps one drunken night while contemplating the greater meanings of life I felt inspired enough to write. I do not know. From there, the entries continued over the course of the next ten years.

The initial think pieces were eventually joined by short stories, videos, photography, films and music. It has been a long 10 years. So much has changed that I could have never predicted. I went from playing drums for an R&B band, to live theater, multiple jobs, and more. However, despite all the changes, the blog remained and adapted over the course of a decade.

In March, I celebrated my 40th birthday. In fact, I made a film about it. The film is posted on this blog and only this blog. It has full frontal male nudity. If you have an interest in what I look like under super bright lights, fully nude, and half awake… check out that retrospective here. If you have any interest in my life and why I’d make a film about it, you could watch it for that reason too, I suppose.

This retrospective was also the first time I showcased any of the music I had a role in creating over the past 40 years. Part of that glance back covers my thirties, or as I like to call it, “The most batshit crazy decade of my life.” Just kidding. It’s actually “Part IV: Changes.” Let’s dive back further than last March and then move forward from where the blog began.

During that intial period of writing, I posted a few think pieces. Some may call them “self help” with a philosophical bent. I have always enjoyed discussing with someone (or someones) ideas that dig below the surface of a topic or concept. The exploration of a thought that can manifest physical change is fascinating. And so I wrote pieces along those lines. Interestingly, even as write this, I realize it is almost an addendum to that decade of my life in the retrospective.

My thirties started off with incredible promise. And then it detoured for the unexplainably worse. A buddy died, my long term girlfriend broke up with me, my job was no longer working out. I attempted to move to the beach. That resulted in a massive fail. Then back to the deserts of Phoenix (Arizona) I came with every intention of getting back to the beach as soon as possible. At the time of my writing this, I am still in Phoenix (Arizona).

I worked a couple different jobs. Eventually I did find something that seemed to fall inline with my next beach move. I met a new girl. That relationship lasted a short while and then went bust. The job that had promise went bust. Someone poisoned my dog. Life proceeded to take a massive detour into 5 years of “what… the… fuck?” And that’s just my personal life.

Life evolved so much out in the world over the span of a decade. This blog has evolved too. It’s gone from writing think pieces about perspectives on life to sharing my photography and film making. It’s remarkable to see how the blog developed. The think pieces aren’t all specific to my life, but, my thoughts on life and the mechanisms in place to drive life forward, sideways, backwards and diagonally.

The first half of the decade explored more positive ideas. The concept of using good memories to move you into a prosperous future, or recognizing the flow of life. Then, after you recognize its patterns, allow it to move you into a positive future. These were topics we explored. As well as, let your attitude drive your positive future and make your life the best life for you because life, in general, goes on regardless.

Then, we transitioned toward introspection. We examined joy, fulfillment, oneness (or completeness), and I even dared to examine a feeling most foreign to me… regret. It’s a feeling I have never really grasped. Even still, I do not fully understand this feeling or those who suffer from it. That entry was an exercise for me and (possibly) the readers.

If you have experienced a feeling of regret, comment below with how you managed yourself out of that space and into something positive. I'm sure there are readers who would benefit from your perspective and it might help others better understand what it means to feel regret.

Then we looked at life as a unique experience to each individual perspective, a song that is constantly being written, and how life itself prepares you for your life. We moved from the more individual examinations to a broader perspective. To use a visual comparison, we moved from a close up camera angle to a wide shot.

As we progressed further into the decade, we looked at emotions and the role they can play in ones life. We dared to explore how they can be implemented for positive effect and change. We decided you only lose when you quit, and if you can’t find a friend you can always find yourself. We also agreed that it is good to celebrate life with people who make you smile.

For the lack of thinking that seemed prevelant in the media, we dared to think. We did so together. We did so individually, together. We gathered here and thought about each blog topic and individually we came to our own conclusions. Perhaps we agreed. Perhaps we didn’t. We can all now agree that we thought. And that is good.

And we should take a quick moment to thank those who offered a quote to our examinations. Over the years we’ve had contributions from Robert Frost, Soren Kierkegaard, Aristotle, Socrates, George Bernard Shaw, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Winston Churchill, Marcus Aurelius, Lao Tzu, St. Paul and Matthew, King Solomon, Red Skelton, Alfred Hitchcock, Elton John, William Shakespeare, President Ronald Reagan, Mark Twain (twice), Claude Monet and more. We even had fictional characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) and Thor (Marvel Comics and films) contribute quotes from their respective movies.

Stepping beyond think pieces, short stories were posted and a published book. I moved more into photography and film making. These each altered the landscape of this blog. It was no longer simply words about life. It became more.

My first short story went live in September of 2014. It delivered a whopping 745 words. I’m not certain we can label it a “short story.” It is short. It is a story with a beginning, middle, and an end. As we take that all into consideration… it’s on the board. And you can read it here.

The first story was about a small town and its favorite musician. The second story was about another small town, its favorite cook and restaurant. The third is a murder mystery. And the fourth is a published book. It is fantasy, mystery, detective noir. Truth be told, it is a mishmash of genres that I am proud of for my first official published title. I didn’t have a graphic designer, or editor. It was just my brain and I in front of a computer creating. You can download your free copy now if you like.

Disclaimer: All of the stories are complete works of fiction with zero connection to people living or dead.

My first film posted in July of 2017. It was a short film. I entered it into a competition in Australia. It looks about how it should look for a beginners initial short film on new gear, with new software, on a new laptop, from a hotel room in Canada. You can watch it here if you wish. It’s about 3 minutes in length.

After that, I shot more short films. Each one grew slightly longer as we went on. They kept with the documentary, satire, stylings that I began with. After all, even something serious can have some humor, right? Right.

During this period I also learned how to do different things in editing and animation for films. I added a drone to my gear bag. That addition opened up my visual storytelling. In all, the films became more involved and more polished.

My photography went live in September of 2017. You can see some of the photos on the right side of this page. In all, the basic structure of a blog with short philosophical writings evolved into a full fledged media page. I had words, photos and videos all residing here. The photos captured moments from my travels, both personal and during film making. It was an easy transition considering the gear used for photography was the same for film making.

There has even been travel blogging on the page for trips to South Africa, Yellowstone National Park and more. This page has literally developed into a glimpse of my life and work over 10 years. The worst ten years of my life interestingly enough. And within that 10 years, I have endured the worst 5 years of my life.  A nightmare within a disaster… what a mess.

I digress.

This blog has the potential to expand with additional travel articles, as well. The future will include more travel. The new people, cultures, food, and music, matched with history and architecture, will inspire some words I’m sure. I can’t say for certain, or to what degree, but I have an opinion on most things. I tend to share those opinions here.

The basic layout of my life went from making sense to where I am at today with an attorney, using encrypted messaging and the promise of a much brighter and better tomorrow. What in the wild hell, folks. Despite it all, Brunansky’s Blog grew, evolved, developed and persisted! Ten years of blogging and still going strong. Let me know when it’s appropriate to pop bottles. Thanks.

I don’t know how much skin I’ll be showing down the road. I did go full frontal nude in the retrospective. That was carefully considered. As I stated, the promise of a better and brighter future. The past relationships of my life have been extensive. I can honestly say that I haven’t really fooled around with, slept with, dated or been in a relationship with any terrible women. They’ve all been pretty solid ladies (each in their own way). And because of the promise of a better and brighter future, I didn’t want them to be tempted to walk into the terribleness that can appear like a good idea. The wild things I’ve done for the women in my life. Here’s just one more thing I’ve done to protect those lovely ladies. Stay the great gals you are.

And so, by going full frontal nude (on my own), there won’t be any temptation for them to lower themselves to a level they are better than. I would like to add a quick note. The scene of me fully nude was shot deliberately bright. I wanted the white balance to be a bit awkward to match the awkward feeling of growing older. I could have easily adjusted the lighting to make my physical features more provacative. I deliberately went super bright.

To my former flames: those pictures and videos that you may still have of my penis (or of me naked) keep for as long as you choose. I’ve already shown the world my penis. It’s out there. Enjoy the memories of us and my penis. In my book, you’re all still absolutely wonderful and I hope life is treating you very well. And I mean that sincerely without sarcasm. I know it might be difficult to process (Jeremy without sarcasm?) but it is sincere. You’re all great ladies.

I think we’ve answered the dear old Popes question. Yes, there are some memories that are safe from the clutches of phony anniversaries. It’s been an absolute nightmare these past five years; but, there is the promise of a better and brighter tomorrow. And there, in the sun and surf, I look forward to sharing more with you. Who knows… I may finally meet a wonderful lady in my travels. You know, in person, the old fashion way. That would be my first relationship in at least five years. How truly bizarre the recent past has been.

I would like to take a quick moment to thank all the new folks I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. It could have been one of the short term contract jobs I worked. Speaking of, I am even thankful for the lesson one contract job in Mesa taught me. The lesson came at a loss of approximately $30,000 on that contract due to deceptive business practices. It did teach me a valuable lesson. Regardless of the lesson, I am still not happy with that financial loss. $30,000 isn’t a lot of money, but, it was money that was supposed to be there. I take money very seriously. Moving on… perhaps we met during my travels. Perhaps we met at the movies, the grocery store or the gym. Maybe you were helping me learn a new foreign language. Perhaps we met online and wrote one another. No matter our introduction, thank you for sharing a part of your light with me these past 10 years.

Thank you, also, to everyone who was available to hangout as well as videochat with me over the past 10 years. I always enjoy the in person hangouts, but, sometimes videochat is the only option.  Thanks for taking time to catch up and share your continued story with me.

Finally, thank you all for your readership and thoughts (in the comments). Here’s to the last 10 years together. Together, perhaps, we’ll make memories worth celebrating down the road.
Cheers.

-JB

Happy 10 Year Blog-iversary Brunansky’s Blog!!

PS: I even got dressed up to celebrate this special occasion.  I brought donuts too! Did you dress appropriately for this anniversary post?  One would hope.