Self-Indulgent Meta-Blogging

The other day Commander Sue called attention to the somewhat erratic history of this blog--specifically, the absence of posts between July 2004 and September 2005. Perhaps a little explanation is in order.

I created the blog when I was out of work, and posting mainly from the library (our home computer was a couple years obsolete, and it was becoming nearly impossible to do anything on the web). My first post explained my motivation:

What the hell, why not? I've been posting my political thoughts on half a dozen message boards for, what, ten years or more...and lately I've been obsessively reading the best of the liberal blogs (Atrios, Josh Marshall, Pandagon, etc.) and posting my comments there...and finally, way behind the curve as usual, I thought why not just start my own blog and post it all there?

But I started it without actually telling anybody I knew that I had started a blog (why yes, I do have a crippling terror of anyone reading what I write; why do you ask?). And so the reservation I expressed in that first post became self-fulfilling prophecy:

Well, the obvious answer is: because nobody will read it. At least on an established message board several people will actually see what I write, even if they are (mostly) drooling cretins; here, I have no such assurance. Am I daunted? Hell yes. In fact, I'm daunted by most things, most of the time. My life is a veritable dauntaganza.

It's a very weird thing, feeling like you're talking to yourself. Too weird for me; I quit after a few posts.

Come September of last year, in full-on Serenity obsession (and having been unable to get tickets for 3 or 4 early screenings), I found the offer of passes to sneak preview irresistible. And at the same time as it occurred to me that the blog I had abandoned could actually pay off for me, it also occurred to me to try again--but maybe in a slightly less half-assed fashion this time. I resolved to post frequently and regularly whether I got comments or not. I told my friends and (eventually) family. I started participating actively in blog communities, and whored myself out at Shakespeare's Sister (whose support for fledgling bloggers is truly a wonderful thing). And eventually got some people reading and commenting.

And that's what makes all the difference.

So...huge thanks to all of you who have linked to me, or put me on your blogroll, or (especially) left comments. When I say I couldn't keep doing this without you, I am, in fact, speaking from experience.

[That's all, folks]