North Maple Rag

Those of you who are discerning readers (since the only people who read this are my friends, that probably refers to all of you) may have noticed that "North Maple" has become "North Maple Rag." I neglected to explain my title when I started this thing, so I've decided that that minor change is a sufficient justification for a brief explanation now.

First, I grew up on North Maple Street and I lived in the house there from the day I came home from the hospital to the day I left for college. So, "North Maple" is simply a not-so-creative reference to where I'm from. You know how they say you should only write what you know? Well, that's basically what I was thinking about when I chose the title.

Second, I added "Rag" part today after I had the thought that "North Maple" sounds a bit like a jazz song (sort of like Maple Leaf Rag). Also, "rag" is casual word for "newspaper," so it seems appropriate for this casual account of my life. In addition, I checked out other definitions at Merriam-Webster and found that the British use "rag" as slang for "an outburst of boisterous fun." That's cool. This blog hasn't been all that boisterous so far, but maybe that's a good goal.

Finally, I'm hoping that having a jazzy title will prompt readers to use "jazz hands" both when they read my blog and discuss it with others. Practice now.