365: Debrief

I started this year with a crazy New Year's resolution: blog every day of 2011.  I started out writing lengthy, thought-out blog posts, even planned several days ahead.  But there just isn't enough stuff going on to sustain that kind of content, so things have devolved into "here's a photo."

Here's a photo.

All things considered, though, I'm putting this year's resolution in the "win" column.  Why?  Because, including today, I posted on 359 out of 365 days.  I missed less than a week in total, which is incredibly impressive for me, knowing my habit of leaving projects unfinished.

I won't try to write some deeply introspective summary of this year and what it's meant for my family and me.  I'll think about it, certainly, but -- especially after this particular year -- that's not the kind of thing I want to share with all and sundry who might stumble across this corner of internet.  Suffice to say that 2011 has been a year of experience, and may 2012 bring some brighter days for everyone.

My daily-blogging experiment is at an end, and I think I'll be emigrating from the Impermanent State, for a while, at least.  So with that, I'll end this year the way I began: with someone else's photo and a wish for a very Happy New Year.

Best wishes for 2012!

182: Halfway home

Champs de Mars, Paris, France, 2007.

Six months down, six to go.  This blog-a-day idea has deteriorated into, more often than not, just a photo-a-day, but I'm sticking with it.  I've made it this far with only one missed entry -- and that was when Blogger was down.  There have been Law & Order rants, the occasional update from the employment front, my favorite things in random sets of five, and likely too much information about my television habits.  I can't promise that it will get better from here on out, but I will strenuously endeavor to keep it from getting worse.

Also, happy Canada Day.

026: The Blogger's Dilemma

Sometimes the hardest part of my blog-every-day project is deciding what the topic of the day should be, either because I have a slew of ideas or because I have none.  Yesterday I went with Oscar nominations over the State of the Union because I'd already started the post before I watched the President's speech (and because I don't think my political opinions are informed enough to be worth anyone's time).  Some days I'll start planning the next day's blog immediately after posting.  This does not happen often enough.  I have moments where I think I might try joining the ranks of fashion bloggers, but I spend 90% of my time at home in fashion-faux-pas sweatpants, so that's probably out.  Decisions, decisions!  My life, she is so difficult.

I think the problem is this: a blog is, by definition, self-aggrandizing.  "My thoughts are fascinating!  I simply must put them out on the Internet for the consumption of acquaintances and absolute strangers!"  There are exceptions, of course -- the White House has a blog, which is just informational -- but on the whole, we bloggers are just shouting into the ether for one reason or another.  For me, the prospect of cyber-passers-by paying attention isn't the point, but it still feels awfully conceited to think that the things taking up valuable space in my head ought to be shared.  It chafes my ingrained [Midwestern] humility.  Horrors!

My point is, this challenge is starting to actually feel like a challenge for any number of reasons.  This is day 26 of 365, and I'm starting to think I'm going to have to start picking up some more hobbies if I'm going to fill this corner of the web for another 339 days.

In conclusion, Don Draper.

(Yes, this will be a recurring thing.)

001: The Resolution Declaration

I've tried New Year's resolutions in the past. Things like "lose those last five pounds" (2006-2010) or "finish that spec script for the fellowship application" (2008-2010) or "eat less chocolate" (2000-2010). Oddly enough, they never take. If anything, I've started eating more chocolate, and have no intention of stopping.

This year, I'm trying something different. This year, my goal is to post something on this blog every day. Whether it's something well-crafted and carefully considered or just a YouTube video (like, say, Sesame Street's Old Spice commercial parody), I'm going to get back into the habit of blogging.

Of course, I'm also doing the 50 Book Challenge, as I have since 2007, and interested parties may follow my progress on Goodreads. Be forewarned: my literary tastes alternate between the highbrow and the highly questionable.

So this is day one. Happy New Year, Internet! Wish me luck.


photo by R I V A on flickr