We are a nation of over 20 million bloggers.So proclaims a Wall Street Journal article from April 21, 2009. But when you talk about Internet competition, that's only part of the picture. Royal Pingdom reports that, in 2008, there were 133 million blogs worldwide. Add to that over 186 million websites and you have the clamor of 300 million "voices," all plying for a surfer's attention.
With those crushing numbers, what's the likelihood of a single, small voice being heard?
Well, dwell on that and you'll probably never create (or maintain) a blog. Best you can do is steel yourself, strap yourself to the mast, hold fast to an against-all-odds attitude. Because, as the day darkens and the waters rise, your blog won't survive unless it's buoyed by a sense of purpose. The unshakable, unwavering conviction that you have a story worth telling.
Admittedly, I'm a lot like your average blogger. As the Journal article notes:
Demographically, bloggers are extremely well educated: three out of every four are college graduates. Most are white males reporting above-average incomes.College educated? Yep. White male? Yep.
So what sets me apart? In short, a bad year. Day after Christmas, I slipped, fell, and shattered my ankle (ah, Chicago winters). Lost my job a couple months later (large-scale layoff -- what else is new?). Couple months after that, my cat almost died (eight lives to go...).
A bad year, but in this economy, many people have it worse... much worse. I have plenty to be thankful for -- for starters, without the support of my wife and daughter, I'd be an absolute wreck. I have a home. I have my health (though that rebuilt ankle's still on the mend). I have my cat.
My problems aren't more pronounced, my perceptions more profound than anyone else's. But I have a voice. A voice that asks, "What keeps me going? What keeps anyone going?" That's the purpose of this blog. My take on the ephemera, as well as the larger issues, we all confront. Appreciating the little things. Contending with the challenges. Hardships. Victories. Epiphanies. My notes on the journey.
One day you're navigating the shoals. The next day it's smooth sailing. Every day is a step forward. (Just watch out for the ice.)
Great introduction.
ReplyDeleteNot the most uplifting of speeches, but lucid to the point where I can feel your pain. I can totally relate. When I first started blogging for class, my site was titled "My Semester Disenchanted." In much the same vein, I was planning to write about how unenthusiastic I was to tackle senior year of college with virtually no money to pay for it.
I especially like the closing of this post. It has been rough, and the only way to stay afloat is to just take it one day at a time.