Tuesday, November 16, 2010

My Credibility As A Wine Blogger

Yesterday, a respected wine writer wrote on his personal blog wondering now that I have started a new commercial enterprise, how will it impact this wine blog? He is wondering if my "transparency and credibility" will suffer and will this wine blog become more of a tool for commerce and less of a passionate calling?

At first thought, I was going to post my resume for the last thirty-years, stamp my feet and give all of the reasons why my credibility shouldn't suffer. Then the more I thought about it, I decided that I didn't need to explain myself. Just like my wine blog started in the beginning, I will let my readers decide its path. If there comes a day I no longer have any readers, then I guess we will have our answer on my credibility.

Wine blogging has been a hobby and in fact, one of my hobbies. I enjoy "collecting." Depending on my mood, sometimes I collect Depression glassware or 1900's-1920's furnishings. Sometimes I might collect rose bushes, vintage purses and perfume bottles or miniature grizzly bears hand carved out of stone or wood. One of my collections happens to be several old and worn biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. In fact, a photo of ol' TR hangs on the wall above the computer that I write this very blog on. Here is an old quote of Teddy's that rather sums it up for me.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

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