Regular readers will know that, during this last weekend, I was away from Manchester and consequently away from my blog. The travelling, the change of milieu, seeing several people I hadn't seen in a while, and the simple fact of not blogging for a day and a half, gave me a greater detachment from the whole business than I've had lately and it set me to thinking about my priorities.
You know how this happens. Go through the same routines, you don't always reflect on them. Step back even for a short spell and you may get a fresh insight into how certain things are developing in your life and where you really want to be with them. The process can be troubling, but I think we're all acquainted with it.
So, sitting on the train I was thinking, as I've said, about my priorities, my priorities in blogging and my priorities more generally. Some of that thinking was encouraging enough in its conclusions, but I have to confess there were also points where I was left quite saddened. And something became increasingly clear to me - a decision I just couldn't avoid. I've worried about this and I would prefer it if there was another way, but by the time I got back to Manchester I knew it would have to happen. If I've taken a further 24 hours before announcing it, that has only been to make absolutely sure I know my own mind. I do. So here goes.
It's time for the next normblog poll. This one is on the songs of Bob Dylan, and the rules are very simple: I invite your judgement about what are the best songs Dylan has ever written - and you may interpret 'best' as you wish (your favourites, objectively, whatever) - with each entrant allowed up to, but no more than, five choices. You don't need to rank them. Closing date: Wednesday 31 March.
Will you be entering? How can you not!