Three Hundred Sixty Five Days of a Lifetime, in Words.

Believe it or not, I've been writing in this Blog for a year. Doesn't really seem like it. Reading the first entry, much of it would be identical if I was writing it as we speak. If you've actually made it through the whole thing I salute you, you've covered approximately 229 pages single spaced, and 529,000 plus characters. You're one of 3,400 plus people who've visited the page for one random reason or another, just short of 10 a day or so. Many of you probably happened upon this page from a random search engine query, such as one of the many hilarious one's I've reposted. Others might be friends of mine, or family. The truth is, although I do check the counter info on a regular basis, if that was all I was interested in, this blog wouldn't be here. I'd be filling it up with words I knew would generate hits from search engines, along with links, popups, and the other lame things sites do to gain hits. Instead, these pages are filled with words of my own, that I just felt like saying at the time. I often go back and read entries from a month prior, a few months prior, a year prior. The funny thing is, I input these things so fast, that even a few days later, reading the words makes me feel like I'm reading someone else's novel. I literally laugh at my own jokes. It's quite pathetic when you think about it.

Have I succeeded in what I set out to do? I think so. This has been a journal that could never be replaced by pen and paper. The amount of time saved that's allowed me to be as articulate or convoluted as I wish without straining my hands is uncountable. I have this backed up to two different hard drives, so even if something happens to the Blogger server or one of my drives, I'll still have this journal to look back on, to see what life was like during my junior year in college. That's over now, it's now the month of September, in a short twenty days I'm headed back to school. I have a new career goal, a new path to follow, a new life to lead. There will be new people to meet, old faces to recognize, plenty of work to do.

Looking back, it's been a pretty good year, as have all of my years of college. No personal tragedies, no horrific injuries or illnesses, and although there was both physical and emotional pain of various kinds, there was always a rainbow through the storm at some point. Sometimes a new day, sometimes a friend to help, sometimes just a sentence uttered by someone, that cheered me up like nothing else could.

September 1st, 2001, was ten days before the event that shook the foundation of this country. In that respect, the world is a very different place than it was when I started this Blog. Then again, I feel I've also changed as a person as a result. In a good way.

Here's to you, the Reader, for sharing this last year with me. Believe me, you aint seen nothing yet.

I mean really, one of these days/months/years I'll be filling this with pages and pages about an actual DATE! :)