Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 22oC, cool, cloudy but slightly sunny.
I got to resolve a big problem with the contact page of ‘The Long Gringo’. After hundreds of attempts, the hosting company fixed it within two minutes. I realised something was wrong with the webpage and the email account settings. I contacted the hosting company through their chat service, and it was resolved.
There are still some small tweaks that need to be done in the future, but that is more towards the evolution of the page. Now, basically, my first site is ready. It is not obviously a sophisticated page, but a simple, beautiful personal blog with much potential to grow. It is something special for people, or it is something that helps them learn and improve in the future. It’s not that I’m superior or better in some way; I just put some of my experiences onto paper and help others learn from my mistakes, which can significantly help.
If I’m going to be a blogger, I want to be a good one, providing nice posts with excellent content that can help others. The name ‘The Long Gringo’ has been on my mind for three or four years, and now it is becoming a reality – something positive that can help not only me but also others in many different and positive ways.
How will things go from here? Only the future knows. What is important to understand at this moment? Only part of the work has been done – building the site. It has been a great accomplishment for me because I did not hire anyone or buy something ready-made. Yes, I used a WordPress theme, which was very helpful and normal for this type of site, but the rest was a rollercoaster – a learning curve that, in the end, has been very rewarding.
The next stage is to monitor and fill it with good quality posts relevant to people’s lives, avoiding AI-generated content or anything overly commercial. The world is complex in many ways, and if we can contribute positively, it’s worthwhile. I’ve made mistakes in my life, some more serious than others, but I’m motivated to do the right thing, learn from my errors, and perhaps be an example for others.
Life is tough, especially in Brazil. People are always searching for direction. I’m 57 now and feel like I have found my direction for the first time in the last 20 years. Over the past 30 years in Brazil, my life has been dedicated to my daughters, Jessica and Yasmin. One of the main reasons I’ve never left Brazil, even though I wanted to, was that I didn’t want to abandon them.
My father left me and my brother when I was 14, and my brother was 11. Since Jessica was born, and even before then, I decided that if I had children, I would never abandon them. This decision made my future choices quite limited. Now that Jessica has grown up and Yasmin has almost finished secondary school, I can start thinking more about myself – what I want and my choices.
It would benefit everyone if I could help people find their direction. As for the financial rewards I would like, I have tried to be successful financially since my teens until now, but I haven’t achieved it. Whether it was because of my incompetence, the lack of intelligence or tools to be more successful in life, the lack of luck, or just that it was not meant to be, it has never happened how I would have liked it to. Choosing Brazil during one of its most historically turbulent times, economically and politically, especially politically, has significantly impacted my success and that of others in this beautiful but chaotic country.
Now that I’m more focused on doing the things that I want to do—projects, etc.—finding pleasure in doing these things, which have some significance in my life and others, is a great plus for me. If one or more of these projects succeeds, I can only be thankful and pass on whatever rewards I receive to Jessica, Yasmin and others in the future.
Last month, August 2023, was an excellent month for me, and I’m working hard to ensure that the positive momentum continues. I am fully prepared to tackle the challenges ahead. I plan to have everything set up and running smoothly by mid-September. Setting up an online store is a new challenge, but I am determined to overcome it. I see it as an opportunity to learn and improve. If I can successfully launch four websites and an online store when I go to England, it will make this year successful.
Ironically, Brazil faces one of the worst economic crises in its history. Numerous large companies are going bankrupt, and there’s a growing and intense divide between socialism and capitalism, which is having severe repercussions for the country.
President Lula is leading the country into a black hole, furthering poverty, corruption, and misery. I have been saying for quite a while now that we in Brazil live in an unassumed civil war. Nothing grows nor improves when there is conflict and fighting. Despite this, I am highly confident and optimistic about my future.
Today was a day of self-pride for me. I completed the first stage of tweaking both ‘The Long Gringo’ and ‘PlaceBeads’ and gave some classes. I celebrated by cracking open a bottle of red wine.
However, there are still some problems with Yasmin. She feels wronged by me for telling her some truths. It’s part of being a father to be firm sometimes, and I don’t think I was too hard on her. I believe she has a darker side, which concerns me a little. I hope nothing comes of it, and only time will tell.
In bed by 11.00 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
