Anniversary post -- shamelessly seeking comments

Well sort of an anniversary post. I started this blog in December 2008, and have been thinking about writing an anniversary post since last fall. Since timeliness is not my virtue, I'm clocking in three months late.

But here is the most important point, in case you don't want to read any further: I am shamelessly soliciting comments! Please comment!

I started this blog as an experiment. I was curious -- albeit about a decade late -- to see what being a blogger was all about. I do a bit of writing and performance art and this seemed like a medium that could capture the pandemonium of me -- someone who lurches from serious commentary, emotional excess, personal stories, righteous anger, and good humor without notice.

The topics I'm interested in are also all over the place -- aging, politics, art, music, race relations, queerness, motherhood and grandmotherhood. I figured a blog with wildly different posts might be interesting -- for my short attention span -- and maybe for the folks who happened upon them.

So here are my reflections on a year of blogging and some change:

• I've pretty much done what I said I would do in my inaugural post. With one notable exception. When I started this blog, we had just elected Barack Obama president and I was crazed with the moment, the history, the "Yes We Did!" fever. I thought I'd be blogging a lot about our new president and in particular, what it meant to me personally that he was biracial and raised by a white mother, given that my young adult kids are biracial and raised by this white mother. I felt like we were family or something. Truth is, all of that wonderfulness fell away pretty quickly for me. President Obama is working tirelessly at his job and there is more than enough punditry to go around about every breath he takes. I've blogged much more about "post racial America," meaning that while we may have elected a Black man president, the same old same old racist crapola continues. In fact, an ugly backlash has risen up -- tea baggers being its most visible manifestation.

• I'm a bit of a lazy blogger. First off, I only write 3-6 posts most months. Second, I started out with thoughtful, longer, well written posts like this one about Obama's inauguration and this one about aging (which is funny, too). (Thoughtful and funny is one of my favorite blogging combos.)

• As time went on, I tended toward spontaneous, easy posts like this one, featuring Louis CK's hilarious bit about being a white guy, or this one, about being a fan of Public Enemy. Short posts where I link to something already posted online and then add my own two cents. A winning formula for lazy blogging! But who has time to read long, thoughtful posts anyway? Not me. Probably not you.
  

• According to my free stat counter, there's been about 10,000 visits to my blog. I have a few devoted readers, and I don't know how many people read this blog via subscriptions and RSS feeds. Most people stumble upon it through google searches or the few times big-time bloggers have linked to me (thank you!). The posts people find most often via Google searches are Birthday Playlist for Aging Baby Boomers; The Mixes: DJ Dancing Diva ; and (Nappy Hair) Notes. Go figure. In fact, a picture of my granddaughter's hair in all of its full blown nappy glory is the most downloaded image from my site (photo below). Luckily, the shot is only of the top of her head, so you can't see who it is. But why do all those people want that picture? It makes me uncomfortable. I might take it down. Out of context from the post, I don't like it living by itself in Google images. A great reminder to be mindful of how personal I may or may not want to get in this mega public arena.

I like blogging. It's fun. It's an outlet. It fits a niche along with Facebook and Twitter. It's interactive -- sort of. I know people read posts, but comments are few and far between. I'd love more. In fact, I would love your comment on this post. Specifically on what you think of this blog. Do you like it? Best of? Worst of? Or just comment and say hi so I know you are out there! Go ahead, make my day! I think six comments on one post would be a record. Yes we can! On a more serious note, thank you to each person who has taken the time to visit my blog, read a post, and be part of this little virtual world. The ride's been great fun for me so far, and I hope for you, too. Be *seeing* you (around 3-6 times a month)!