This is not a good picture. It was taken inside my garage this afternoon while I was having a rummage sale, together with my granddaughter-in-law Terrin. I’m tired, my hair is a mess, I have on no makeup. But that is not what this post is about. And that is not Terrin in this picture.

This lady was reading from the back cover of my book Playing Life by Ear, which was displayed prominently for our sale, and she came to me and said “Your maiden name was Doris Peterson?” and I said yes. She said “My name is Doris Peterson.” We had a laugh together and then she said “It would certainly be a coincidence, but tell me what was your middle name?” I answered “My middle name is Jean.” Her mouth dropped open and her arms opened to give me a big hug. We were both Doris Jean Peterson.

Now that sort of thing doesn’t happen often, although I suspect we have dopplegangers . . people who look like us. How many times has someone told you “You look just  like someone I know.”

But no matter what comparisons you make, there is no one in the world who is exactly like anyone of us. There is no one in the world who exactly talks like us, thinks like us, moves like us. looks like us.

When I started this blog I told the story of a teacher once asking me is I had lived up to my name. I thought, how in the world does one live up to the name Doris? Some time later it occurred to me that he was asking if I was living up to my name Markland. Was I perhaps leaving my mark on the land. And that’s how I came to name the blog My Markland . . a place where I may leave my mark.

I am so privileged that people like you come here to read my blurbs, and I keep learning that I have no idea who comes and reads. Please feel welcome to leave comments by clicking on “comments.” Your ideas are important too, or at least your hellos, or at least your name.

I am writing often now, material for my next book. An article I wrote recently is called Having Your Say, and it encourages you to talk back to my words and to tell your story, even if its to an empty room.  I describe my writing as only half of the conversation and encourage readers to enter with theirs.

Thank you for coming here and do feel free to give us your half of the conversation from time to time.