I’ve maintained this particular blog / website since 1999. Unlike some blogs that are dedicated solely to food, decor, knitting, writing, photography, or any other interesting subject, mine is a more personal and less structured offering. Yes, for a while I felt I should keep my posts to one subject (photography) but that didn’t always fit the reason I wanted to write. Those who have followed me for a while realize my posts run the gamut from things I wish to share (sometimes personal; sometimes not), or otherwise bring attention to, or perhaps for the purpose of inducing a conversation. Often times I’m sharing a story.
The subjects of my posts are as wide ranging as the clouds above us, shifting and transforming like the winds that support them. Like the quote by M.L. Stedman, “The oceans never stop … the wind never finishes. Sometimes it disappears, but only to gather momentum from somewhere else …” my posts never seem to stop or finish. Rather, I seem to gather momentum from all those “somewhere else’s.”
Something that I particularly enjoy about this space are the responses that you, the visitor and reader, have left for me. That is the bonus I had not planned for in the beginning. What is most gratifying is receiving your thoughts, memories, or stories that have been triggered by something you read here. It’s what I’ve grown to look forward to the most.
And, as anyone who has left any kind of note knows, I always send an acknowledgement directly to you by email. Some may have wondered why my responses never appear in the comments at the end of each post. It’s quite simple really. For a person to know, or to read a comment I might leave there, unless you make a point of coming back and re-reading or scrolling down to a post you’ve already read (and who is going to do that!?) any response on my part would be completely missed. Instead, the next time I’m at the computer (which isn’t always every day), I read your lovely notes and send you my appreciation or other acknowledgement. As Paul Harvey was famous for saying, “… and that’s the rest of the story.”
I’ve mentioned it several posts ago, but I have been making a point of visiting and reading a few favourite blogs and have been spending far less time on other social media. I don’t read every single post of every blog so, like reading the newspaper, I head to certain ones on certain days to gather something of interest or to simply suit my mood du jour. It’s been lovely getting reacquainted with blogs again. There are a few ‘new to me’ blogs I’ve been visiting but I wish to share one, in particular, with you. I can relate to a lot of her essays and am fond of the width and breadth of her topics and her style of writing. Introducing writer Theresa Kishkan.
So, while I continue to gather momentum from somewhere else and drizzle what I glean for you here, dear visitor / reader / commenter I send you my sincere appreciation for your time here and for the stories you leave behind. You genuinely warm my heart.
Soundtrack: Sunshine Song performed by Jason Mraz.
Oh Diane, your photographs are so ravishing.
even in a photograph, the sea evokes a feeling of being able to breath. it’s been 10 years since i’ve laid my own eyes on the sea, so it’s a privilege to view it through your lens.
Great post with beautiful photos! Those black-eyed susans radiate with warmth. Congratulations on 21 years of blogging about all subjects that run the gamut! Prior to my photography blog, I did have a personal blog, but ended that when I got married. I try to personalize some photography posts or provide background information to lure the visitor in. I am attracted to that. I do not have any social media accounts and it will stay that way. I know too many people who have gotten in trouble by sharing too much information, whether it be personal, political or otherwise.
I’m often on the lookout for a new-to-me-blog to read – and was quite surprised to find that the blog you mentioned…is one I discovered recently (in the last week or so). And it is a beautiful read!