ManicRobThrill

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

A decade later...

I can't believe this blog is now ten years old.  I can remember the night I made the decision to start blogging and wrote the first entry.  I was on the cusp of my 40th birthday - now I'm about to turn 50, which at moments, still feels a little surreal.  I had just begun going to the gym - now I'm working with a personal trainer.  At the time, I was living in Staten Island and planning to leave; we did just that, having moved to New Jersey...  and moved right back.  And of course, The Punch Line was rolling - having been deep into the recording of ...to get to the other side.  Now, I'm finally beginning to make music - again - with no pressure, time constraints - anything.  Just for the simple joy of it.

Writing on this blog at the time was unchartered waters; I said whatever came to mind - and was a mistake, as I later realized - I gave a "voice" to my thoughts as they came into my head so I wouldn't forget and to be able to reference back to those ideas, in case they had any value.  It was a means of purging and exercising my ability to write and later, helped me hone my editing skills, which has definitely come in handy since.  It was mine - and I've stayed with it.  Whether it's a mere few lines once a month or several postings because I have a lot on my mind, it's mine and it's there and it will remain so.  It's a part of me that I'm pleased to still have.

The last ten years have been incredibly transitional - the world turned upside down thanks to war, unemployment, technology and in many ways, because society on the whole became uglier and dumbed down exponentially.  I had my own changes to deal with, cope with, accept, adapt to:  death, relationships of one kind or another starting and ending, learning new things, physical changes and so on.  I do feel and believe that I've grown as a person - how could I not?  If you don't mature the right way and you're going to be 50 years old, you don't deserve a shred of respect.  I haven't become uptight or an "old man" but by virtue and way of experiences, conversation and perspective, I think I have reached an attitude commensurate with my age. 

Nevertheless, I'm glad I still have this blog and will continue to - so happy 10th birthday, my dear friend.