Happy Anniversary to me

Happy Anniversary

How time flies when, well, how time flies. I started this blog a year ago with this post, Waiting for Tomorrow which included the quote from John Burroughs – “The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are.”

Beginning this one year journey with a quote from one of my favorite human beings was apropos. I was in the midst of the distant and the difficult in desperate need of a great opportunity. I thought what I would do is write about my feelings and thoughts with no real objective or any idea that I would even have an audience. But something odd happened, a few people read what I had written, 18 people liked it and I got two very nice comments. So I wrote something else the next day, Living in Facebooks past which has become one of the most popular, most commented and most read post that I have written.

The comment part of this “experiment” has really been the most fulfilling aspect of my blogging experience. Given my geography and my somewhat unorthodox views about religion and politics I do feel quite isolated at times. I have used this platform to not only share my perspective but also air out my views if you will. I have written stuff that I have thought, “damn do I really believe that?” I have also written stuff where you the reader have said, “damn do you really believe that”. But the most rewarding comments have been from those of you that have said I put into words what they couldn’t seem to verbalize.

When I first started, the likes, the follows, the comments and the stats were like an adrenalin rush. I tried to figure out the process. How could I get more views? A better placement? How could I get WordPress Discover to pick me up, which they never have. Did pictures help? What tags worked and which ones didn’t? All this as I watched my daily views and followers grow.

But since I have the attention span of a gerbil I soon lost all interest in my stats, and “growing” my base of loyal followers and fell back into why I started all of this in the first place writing about my feelings and thoughts with no real objective or any thought that I would even have an audience.

I know there are some of you that wish I would quit writing about Trump and get back to contemplating Jesus, Zen, birds and trees. Somedays I wish I could too. But at this point I am simply amazed that after a year and 480 post that I have any thoughts or feelings left to write about.

I realize now that I am not going to be discovered by a literary agent or get a book deal because of this blog. Rachel Maddow hasn’t and isn’t going to call me to be a guest commentator on her show because of my Trump posts. I write because I enjoy doing it. I write because I enjoy the feedback. I write because if I get hit by a bus tomorrow my kids will have a few of their crazy Dad’s ideas that maybe they can share with their kids.

As I have said in the past I will continue to do this along as it continues to be fun and I have something share. Honestly I am surprised I have lasted this long but I would like to thank those of you that have been with me for most of this journey. Your thoughts, your comments and your energy have really helped make this a fun and educational adventure.

Namaste, Peace & Blessings