Sunday, August 9, 2009

A New Heimer-Blog!

So it's been a while since I've posted anything online.
Many have expressed that they deeply miss my website
cheimerdinger.com, all the questions and answers, the
forums, the monthly newsletters, etc., etc., etc. Well,
here's the scoop: that website became entangled in legal
wranglings and no longer exists. Nor will it ever exist
again in the same form. It's a long story that I may tell
one day, but the truth of the matter is that its demise
freed up an extraordinary amount of my time. It was crazy
everyday trying to keep up with it. So what have done
with that free time? Mostly, I have devoted it to family
and personal matters for the past couple years--and I
think it was time well devoted. Of course, I also,
theoretically, have more time to devote to writing and
creating. The primary recipient of such energies right now
is the project "Thorn of Glory"--the latest in the Tennis
Shoes Adventure Series. This project has been an excruciating
excercise in research and discipline. However, so many
fascinating subjects have been explored during the creating,
and I hope to address many of those subjects in this blog.
I've always gotten positive responses and comments to my
"Chapter Notes" in back of my various Tennis Shoes books
over the years. Well, the Chapter Notes in this latest
Tennis Shoes novel are meatier than any that I've provided
before. It's fun, but as I say, it's also excruciating.

I confess, there are other reasons that writing has been
slow. For those who are unaware, I was remarried this April.
It was an incredible day and a glorious rebirth from some
sad and trying episodes in my life. For some even the fact
that I was divorced may come as surprising news. Trust me,
at the time it was no less surprising to me. It was never
something I wanted, asked for, or supported in any way.
But, in the end, one cannot control another's actions and
choices. It was a very sorrowful and bitter time for many
people, including and especially my children. But time passes.
Wounds heal (or scar over, anyway) and life goes on.

The truth is that I have never been a happier human being.
Currently my new wife, Emily, and I have custody of no less
than nine children. (My oldest son, Steven, is on a mission
in the Ukraine.) It's quite a household. Never a dull moment.
Much chaos. And very little quiet time for introspection
and contemplation. But that's not totally a bad thing, right?
The rewards are legion, and the greatest blessing has been
that I totally lucked out by selecting a wife with an
incredible passion for making it work.

So here I am, an LDS artist--a person who has devoted his
life and career to celebrating the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with creative works, and I am no less immune from the
tragedies and pitfalls of life on planet earth as any
other human being. The best part is that instead of
drawing me further away from the Gospel, such events have
drawn me closer. I love this Church. I'm so proud to be a
part of it. And I enjoy nothing more than bearing testimony
of its truthfulness while at the same time creating
entertaining and (I hope, sometimes at least) beautiful
artistic works celebrating its themes.

Recently I wrote a new fireside and delivered it to a
group of single adults in Draper, Utah. This talk gave me
a chance, again, to express my deepest convictions in
the Restored Church and the Atonement of our Savior. I
was also able to discuss a wide range of other subjects,
from the conflicts of science and religion to the fact
that we, as people, are not as prone to bear our
testimonies to friends and associates that way we
were back in the 70s and early 80s. Fun subjects, and
it seemed to be well recieved. And it may also provide
future fodder for a blog like this.

So for those who miss cheimerdinger.com, this is the
place to come if you want to hear me rant about the
things I care about most. That is, if anyone cares to
listen. I'll have to judge that as the weeks go by. Most
of my time, frankly, I need to devote to writing novels
and developing projects that will feed my family. But a
blog may be a great way to blow off steam from time to
time, contemplate the higher things of the universe, and
seek the healing balm of friends and fans who may,
occasionally, reply with some tidbit or comment that
will truly make my day and raise my spirits higher.
Hopefully time I devote to this endeavor will prove to
be a breath of fresh air that I will seek on a regular
basis. My fear is that, with the internet these days,
there may well be more bloggers than there are readers.
Isn't that the way it is with so many of conversations?
Also, whose to know if I can really be judged someone
with worthwhile things to say outside of telling stories
or pursuing creative works? But for those who wish to
read what I have to write, the forum that I will make
most postings will be my Frost Cave blogspot.

We'll just have to see. In the meantime, I'll give this
a go and see where it leads . . .

Chris Heimerdinger

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