I had begun writing these sorts of posts in the fall of 2009 simply as a way of thinking as I attempted to sort through some of life's intricacies. Most of those were shared with only a very few people. As they accumulated, however, I decided to compile them for easier access using Blogger, but that effort was kept relatively private as well.
Readers (and listeners) convinced me I had something worthwhile to share, especially as it related to health and disability but also about the value of a positive attitude on life. To Gyre and Gambol was born out of that, and most of the typically much briefer posts of the private blog have been reworked, combined, or simply expanded for this blog. My first four posts, however, derived from things I had written for other purposes. In fact, the oldest was composed when I was a teenager.
By the numbers, it strikes me as a quite a ride, but I have no comparison. I have posted about 600 times although I have since deleted some and republished some after revision. The blog has almost passed the 80,000 page view mark (The first year saw only 13,000), and those visits have come from 165 (71 after Year 1) countries across all of the continents but Antarctica. This includes all of the US states, all of the Australian states and territories, and most of Canada (no sign of Yukon or Nunavut yet).
When I shared those numbers with a friend, I was asked what my goal was when I started. I didn't have one. I was writing primarily for myself and for the expected small handful of friends and family who might read my musings. That was it.
Today, however, I think what is most important to me are the fellow bloggers whose friendship and encouragement I have enjoyed immensely. Having become thoroughly discouraged by the writing ability of the average American college undergraduate, I am positively thrilled to be in the company of so many talented authors, especially my two dozen colleagues at Personal Bloggers Are Us. They are, for the most part, hesitant to call themselves writers or authors, but that's what they are. They should embrace the labels.
Do yourself a favor and check out their sites. I assure you that you will find more than a few to which you will eagerly return, repeatedly.
TGB
