A year in the life... well, almost

Today Martinis for One celebrates its one-year birthday. My little fledgling web log is still both little and fledgling. Yet, as I take a stroll down memory lane visiting pages now archived, I feel nothing but happiness at its very existence.

On May 2, 2005, I posted my first entries taken from a hand-written journal that I had started a year earlier. Writing relieved my anxiety and had a therapeutic affect as I faced the ups and downs of being single again at 36-years old. Having never heard of blogging, I'd no idea that I would begin my own blog, and even less of an idea that blogging would become source of great pleasure to me.

Back in the day, I didn't keep stats. My only two readers, Queen of Sass and a.k.a Senior Advisor, were close personal friends, who graced my posts with the occasional comment. Then one day out of the blue, I got my first comment from "Anonymous." The comment sent shivers down my spine not for its content, but for what it signified. "OMG," I thought. "Someone is actually reading this stuff." At that moment, I felt completely undressed. And, I had two choices: either to cover myself or streak around the blogsphere naked.

For the most part, I chose the latter. And as a result, the last year I have written about such worthy topics as small penises, homeownership, bikini waxing, breast petals, feta cheese, and $900 sheets. To be sure, I'll never win a Pulitzer. But I'd like to think I've earned an A for effort. I mean seriously, how desperate for a post does someone need to be to write about feta cheese?

Still, I wasn't always completely naked. There are a few stories that I never shared with you. I never told you about my meetings with a fellow blogger, the hours we spent flirting, and my disappointment when nothing came of the encounter. I was too embarrassed to tell you about the night I became a one-time "cheater" after a friend's girlfriend moved away. I also failed to mention the fling with my personal trainer and the time we "worked out" in his gym. Why didn't I share? Why would I only partly expose myself? Maybe it was because through Martinis for One I had created an image, which I did not want to tarnish.

But as this year has progressed, so has Martinis for One. And where I once crawled, I now walk. As I look through the archived posts which represent my life over the past year, I see both the growth and forward movement. I credit you with much of this development. Your comments and encouragement have been a source of inspiration, helping me grow in both word and confidence.

So on this birthday, I raise my martini glass to you, blog friends and readers alike. And here's a wish for many more months of running around the blogsphere--clothing optional, of course.