2 the past... the future... another year down...

Today ...don't open...don't throw away... celebrates its three year anniversary.  As with most things, anniversaries are a good time to look back at the year, reflect and celebrate what has happened--both good and bad.  It is also a good time to think about the future and what wonders it might hold.  I also find it fun to include some facts (quantitative,  because numbers are my thing in the real world).  But before I inundate you with numbers and percents, I'd like to reflect a bit.

Just as year two ended on a rocky note, this year started off on one.  The first half of the year existed with many weeks of non-existence; I posted a total of 12 times from January 10th to June 30th.  My rules continue(d) to remain inactive and honestly I did little to no writing elsewhere.  It took me quite some time to rediscover myself here (over a year if we start from when I went into hiding during year two).  Finally, I decided I needed to reengage myself, but I knew activating my old rules would not do the trick.  So, on July 1st, I started my themes:  Sunday's - Time Capsule, Monday's - Q Series (occasional), Tuesdays/Wednesdays - Last Call, and Fridays - Can I Have This Dance?  [song inspired posts].  They definitely gave me purpose and forced my hand (or fingers) to keyboard).  I wasn't sure I'd be able to hit 100 posts considering the start of the year, but in the end I made it to 118.

Anyway...let's check out some stats before I reflect on the future...

Posts...

*This number does not equal the number of poems.

Followers...
My followers base as increased from the original 3 to 23 to the current number 28.  Over the course of the past three years, several have disappeared, so the increase does not equal the number of new followers.  I mention my numbers here, mainly because I have done so in the past.  It is important to realize that while some choose to click the follow button, other may choose to follow using the RSS feed (which is how I follow most people).  So I'd like to pretend that my followers base is more like 1,000--okay if I'm realistic it is probably more like 50.

Most Commented on Post...
I honestly did not think the most comment on post for this year would also knock out the one from year two, but low and behold just last week Loony for Lunes (22) surpassed silent screams (20).

Most Viewed...
To be honest, I have a feeling that web crawlers finally managed to knock the two year running most viewed post, Methods to Soothe Raging Emotions.  The post has actually been downgraded to #9 with 98 views.  Dancing Down a Storm:  Blackout Poetry holds the #1 spot with 164 views.

Form Poetry...

So where is ...don't open...don't throw away... heading?

I have on multiple occasions thought about shutting down.  Each time I have done so, I have been in a bad place with my "Socio-neti-phobia."  So I continued even with my bad (almost non-existent) spell to post.  The past month or so I have begun (while my head is on straight and relatively rational) to think that this blog may have run its course.  One of the things that has always lingered at the edge of sanity was that while this is a public blog, I have not shared its existence with any "real-world" people--no family...no friends....  Every time I think to, my ramblings and even some of my poems give me pause (too many crazy irrational thoughts running 'round).  And so I've been thinking that I might need to reinvent my online self so that I can feel more comfortable sharing.

So, maybe I'll stick around, maybe I won't, but I intend to take the rest of this month to think hard on shutting down and reinventing.