10 Years

April 2013

Ten years ago I sat down and wrote this:  "Friday, April 12th Steve took me to see Michael Nesmith at the Union County Performing Arts Center; a charming theatre that has been around since the early part of the last century and miraculously survived being torn down and becoming a parking lot.  It was not the first time the two of us had seen “Papa Nez” in concert.  While promoting his album Tropical Campfires in early 1992, he had done a concert at the now defunct Lone Star Roadhouse in NYC.  Both Steve and I were there; even though we didn’t even know each other yet."  It was my first blog post.  What I write today will be my 1,353rd published post on this space.  There are posts out there that I never published.  Posts that I never finished.  Posted that ended up elsewhere. (I'm an occasional contributor to MyVeronaNJ.  I believe my first articles appeared in 2014, which means I have another anniversary coming up next year.  I am still incredibly flattered and honored when I am asked to share my thoughts and words directly to my local community.)

 According to the statistics Google provides, my very first post got 99 views.  Seems like I got more views when Google+ existed.  Does anyone remember that?  Proof that even a giant like Google can "fail."  At least when it came to social media.  (That WAS what Google+ was supposed to be wasn't it?)  Did Google+ help me or was it just inflating my numbers?

 Let me be frank (as I always try to be), mine is not a "popular" blog.  Thousands of people are not reading my writing.  I'm lucky if I get into the triple digits.  And while it would be nice to have tons of people reading my thoughts, that's not why I write.  I write because I "have" to.  Something will come up or happen that grabs me.  I find that I have to get my thoughts onto "the page".  It has always been that way for me as there are countless notebooks and diaries tucked away in drawers and containers that are filled with my scrawl.  They are filled with my thoughts, poetry, attempts at stories and my bad fan fiction. (Before knew what fan fiction was...when was the term coined anyway?)  I am embarrassed by them and I am thrilled by them.  They show who I was: a not so popular overweight female who was not quite smart enough to be a nerd and wanted to fit in with everyone.  This blog shows who I am:  a not so popular overweight female with thoughts and feelings that she wants to share, advice that she wants to give and receive and still wants to fit in, even in places that I never could.

 I will never be a trendsetter, influencer or whatever you want to call it.  Is it because my thoughts/words are not "good" enough?  Or, as I'd prefer to think, is it because I don't have a niche.  This is not a political blog, though I occasionally dip my toe into my thoughts in that world.  It's not a fashion blog, although my 4th post was about getting my hair bobbed.  (Does that even constitute "fashion")? It's not a travel blog, although I have written about my vacations, though there are not many.   My blog doesn't focus on the arts, although as I pointed out, my very first post is about a concert I attended.  My blog is like me, kind of boring.  Or at least not thrilling.  I don't focus on one particular subject or thing.  It's all about what is going on in my life and around me, hence tales of family, work, and stuff that grabs my attention (and hopefully yours too).  I figure if I'm interested in something, maybe there is someone else out there who is too?  What I experience in life can't just be about me; we are all interconnected.  (Aren't we?)  I have questions; if I write about it maybe someone will give me an answer or a suggestion.  I appreciate the feedback that I get. 

 A lot has changed since I started blogging. I've changed jobs (more times than I care to admit).  My son was in elementary school; now he's about to graduate high school.  (As a matter of fact, tomorrow we go to Admitted Students Day at Wagner College.  I can't speak for my son, but I am thrilled and terrified at the same time.)  My parents moved and my mother died.  And then there was (is) Covid.  What "average joe" could have ever imagined that?  If the memories of remote learning, "virch" and zoom meetings start to fade, I've got plenty of posts to look back on and remind me of the scary uncertainty that was supposed to last for only a couple of weeks (who were they kidding) and went on and on.  I went from struggling with working from home to reluctance to return to an office. (And not seeing the benefit of commuting three days a week...more to come about that next month.)

 Although nothing I have written has been earthshattering, I'm glad that I have kept this record of what's going on in the world and in my world.  Maybe this blog will be helpful to future generations of my family.  Maybe it has been helpful to a friend or stranger who has stumbled across it.  (Nothing would make me happier).  Maybe it will be interesting to someday to a person who is not yet born.  I suppose, for better or worse, this blog is my legacy. When my memory fades, I will have my own words to remind me of myself.  I think that's a pretty darned good reason to keep blogging.

Thanks to all of you who have read these words; whether past, present or future.  As I intend to keep writing, I hope you will keep reading.

April 2023


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