False Herring

First off, I'm sorry that this blog has lain dormant for so long.  I knew that when I moved houses the blog would take a hit, but I never intended to give it up entirely.  Maybe it's more realistic to do one or two posts a week rather than one a day.  I'm not sure, but I'm intending to get back in the saddle with some fresh new posts, starting with this one.

I think the phrase "false herring" came to me when I misspoke one day, meaning to say "red herring."  I liked the way it sounded, and was convinced that it offered some nuance of meaning that the standard phrase did not.  I have yet to figure out what that nuance may be, but I use the term in my private inner monologue to refer to activities, objects, or desires that lead me away from what I really, deep down, know that I want and need in my life.  Perhaps the pursuit of another shiny guitar is a false herring, since my time would be better spent playing the ones I already have.  Perhaps watching a TV show that I don't really care about is a false herring, because at the end of the evening, I will wish that I had done some writing, read a book, or caught up with someone on the phone instead.  Some people probably know exactly what they want at any moment and have an easy time expressing that to others.  I do not.  So I'm training myself to look out for those ersatz ichthyoids and avoid them in favor of, um, genuine herrings.  Well, you get the idea.