September 6 marked the one-year anniversary of my blog, Is There Food.
Twelve months ago, that first post wasn't massively significant; it was a simple welcome. The second post, two days later, was regarding a band called Sigur Ros that I'd just heard on Radio One. That seems like an incredibly long time ago.
Why? So much has happened since then. For a start, my son has gotten older. He's started crawling, walking, talking. And while in one way it seems like that was only five minutes ago, thinking back on it seems like an age. But this isn't a post about my son, it's a post about my blog.
I didn't create any kind of success criteria for my site. What's the point? Only a presumptuous fool would think they'll automatically acquire readers, or recognition. I didn't have any goals of achieving a certain number of visitors, or of coining in thousands of pounds thanks to Google adverts. At that point, I didn't even think anyone would read my site.
On October 12, 2005, I posted a response to Apple's "iPod with Video" announcement. To my surprise, amazement, and - if I'm totally honest - joy, I got linked to from C|Net's article summarising the response. I was, as we say, massively chuffed.
I had initially planned on being a journalist. Maybe, in some wild fantasy, I was going to be a novelist. Throughout my more formative years, I wrote almost constantly. I can recall some of the short stories I wrote. I can even recall some of the outlines I came up with, which have never made it to written form. On certain days, I tell myself I'll start writing fiction again.
It didn't happen. I've got too much of an affinity with computers and technology. I can't help it. Becoming involved with computers, be it support, or development, was - with that mythical 20-20 hindsight - inevitable. But through computers, I've returned to writing. Starting a blog seemed like a silly idea until I installed Wordpress. Writing regularly seemed like something I used to do, not something I do now. That said, the frequency of posts lately is perhaps not best described as regular. But I'm working on that.
Article comments
1 - Rohan Venkat
Absolutely!
Congrats on the anniversary, and yes, there's always someone out there who has similar interests to you.
2 - Brad Schader
Congrats on the milestone. I am only in my second month so your words are very helpful. I just enjoy writing. I used to bother people with these rants, now I just write and post them. That is why I blog. To keep my friends =D
3 - Daniel Woolstencroft
Thanks for the comments both. Keep up the good work Brad!
4 - Larry Blumen
It's not noise pollution unless you can hear it while you're trying to listen to something else.
5 - tink
Happy belated Congrats!! Agreed that there is always someone out there with similar interests...in fact, some of the things that you mentioned in this one made me go "hhhmmmmm..."
6 - Daniel Woolstencroft
Which things made you go "hhhmmmmm" Tink? And isn't that a song? ;)
Larry - Good point. I'll remember that one.