Happy Birthday Blog

On September 12, 2022, I pushed the "publish" button on my very first blog post. I remember feeling nervous, excited and accomplished. I had done what I describe as, "stopped talking about it and did it". Since that day I have published 93 posts. Today is a special day for me, it is proof I can stick with something for an entire year and still have more to give.   

I am astonished that I have had so much to say in my blog posts. Many random conversations with others can ignite something in me and I think, "I need to write about that". I never thought of myself as having an opinion on nearly everything, but maybe I do. People and their wisdom inspire me to think about my own wisdom. I have always loved trivia and it has served me well on so many of my topics. 

I have learned that I am entitled to my opinion, but it can't be hurtful to others. Respect is so important in life but certainly when writing. Facts are also important.

Since I started to blog, I feel I have really broadened my knowledge base on so many topics. Following the news and expanding on it is fun for me. I have noticed in my retirement, I have to work at keeping my mind, body and soul active. To complete a post, it has required numerous google searches for accurate information, finding the perfect quotes and of course spell check, so very thankful for spell check.  

I have learned that not everyone enjoys reading blogs. I enjoy blogs that are written by people I know. It gives me an insight into their life and beliefs. I get excited when a notification comes into my email that there is a new blog posting. I really hope my notifications have the same effects on my readers.  

Numbers have never been important to me; I have never worried about how many followers I have. How I count success is if I inspire others and make them feel better about themselves. I envision people reading my blog, shaking their head in agreement, laughing or being surprised by the information. 

Writing for me has always been freeing. My mind is busy all of the time, having an outlet to express myself and calm some of my mind, is healthy for me. I usually have my morning coffee with my computer along with my thoughts and ideas. Some days the words fly off my fingers, other days, it's a struggle. But I do try to write something every day. 

Some posts take forever to write and by the time they are done, I am convinced no one will get a thing out of them. Oddly, those posts seem to be the ones that my readers relate to the most. Others that I love and think, "that is my best yet", is not as exciting as I thought they would be. The reaction is unpredictable. I would say the posts that had the most responses were "the Queen" and "Girl Talk". 

Right from the start I decided not to make my blog about family and friends. Sometimes I break the rules, but overall, I am usually a rule follower. If you enjoy reading the posts on "Go to the Water", I hope the year has provided you with some insight into yourself, maybe some calmness for just a few minutes of reading and hopeful you have learned something.  

In closing, I want to say, "what a wonderful year I have had blogging". Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of my "Blog Family", I could never have kept going without you. I followed my dream of writing and I hope if you have an unaccomplished dream that you will make it a reality. It is actually freeing.