BitterSweet Turns One

Who could have ever though this would get so far. After so many starts and stops, I feared that anyone trying to come along for the ride would have gotten motion sickness and bailed out long ago. Looking back, both my blog and my own life has come a long way from where it was a year ago.

It’s not something I often brag about, but this was in fact my third blog. Yes, you heard me right; There were two others before my beloved BitterSweet. Did you ever see them? Unless you happen to have impeccable luck and timing, I highly doubt it – The first was only with us in the blogosphere for a sad 15 minutes, and the second survived through the long, torturous night, only to meet its demise the very next morning. Any sane person would have stopped then, acknowledging the fact that perhaps I’m no so well suited to this sort of open forum, but has anyone ever known me to be rational?

My hesitation wasn’t due to a lack of material, oh no – The simple knit scarves and animals were already piling up on my bedroom floor, much as they are today. The problem lay trapped inside my head, screaming to be released and let go of. Dying to be a part of this wonderful world of bloggers, I feared the possible rejection by such a prestigious, brilliant community, my work looked down upon and my words scoffed at. What did I have to contribute to the already thriving network established long before my entrance to the field? Who would want to listen to more of the same old thing, as my blog filled no new niche and presented old, stale ideas as common as a cold?

Honestly, I don’t know how I ever overcame these nagging thoughts long enough to actually make my very first appeal to the outside world. I am certain, though, that without the support and kindness I quickly found by such an overwhelming number of readers, that BitterSweet would not have become such an important part of my life. As I continued to struggle with medical setbacks, emotional difficulties, what I thought were impossible odds, the blog would always be there for me to still feel like a worthwhile human being, not just a problem. For that, I owe everyone who take the time to read my ramblings the deepest of thanks for simply sticking around and listening.

Time never stands still, a fact that I often overlook with a somewhat skewed perception of time, always catching me off guard when such a huge milestone finally comes and inevitably goes. This first year was an amazing learning experience, and I’m sure those that follow will also be, as I still have so many talented, inspiring people to look up to, and I hope that with luck I can take in just a little bit of their rampant creativity, too.