Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Thrice around the sun


The journey continues...
San Francisco, CA, March 2007 [Click to enlarge]


Today is a very special day in Pitkinville: it's been three years since Written Inc. first went live. Since this is my first blog, it's also been three years since I became a blogger.

Funny, but it seems like I've been at it longer than that. I don't remember what it was like to not have my own blog. I say that with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart, because this has been a great journey for me. I hope you've enjoyed it, too.

What started as a simple exercise in learning the ins and outs of a nascent medium has evolved into a platform for my words and my images. I've become part of a vibrant community of writers, all of whom never cease to amaze me with their intelligence, creativity, humor and kindness.

I've learned that words and images, the basic building blocks of creativity in my world ever since I was a kid, can go much further than the yellowing pages of the albums that once represented the final resting place of so much of my work. I've learned that these new media can send a journalist's vision to places barely imagined the first day I walked wide-eyed into j-school.

I don't know where this ends, or if it ever really needs to end. Indeed, so many of the folks who I once read and who read me when I first went live are no longer blogging. Yet I feel no need to put my pen down. I write for a living, so not writing in this admittedly informal, self-edited capacity seems almost unthinkable. It's like the photographer putting down his camera (equally unthinkable), the cyclist parking his bicycle (ditto), the dreamer silencing his aspirations (yup, same thing.) This is me. And I'll keep writing and shooting as long as that fire to create and share continues to burn.

I love setting aside a few quiet minutes every day to share a thought or two, to upload a picture that means something to me, to share my view of the world and read the comments of once-complete strangers who I've come to know as friends. It isn't work, because I love being a part of this wild little world. I hope you love it, too. And I hope you're around to share future milestones with me. Thank you for being part of the journey thus far.

Onward...

Your turn: In case you missed them, here are the links to my first-ever post, the first anniversary entry and last year's anniversary entry. If you have a moment, I hope you'll read them, then come back here and tell us why milestones matter, and why the blogging community often seems to be so much more than mere pixels on a screen.

About the image: This is a section of track for San Francisco's famous cable cars. I thought it would be appropriate to include now, as it symbolizes the journey, and the fact that the direction can change when you least expect it. It's also a pretty atypical picture, the kind of image that I tend to capture while I look where everyone else is not. Maybe that's my life's philosophy. Or not...whatever. Wherever I end up, I'll never be able to say it hasn't been a fun trip.

10 comments:

kenju said...

CArmi, I would have thought you had been at it much longer. I could have written almost everything you said here - but I have been at it for only 2 and a half years. I hope you never stop!!

JP (mom) said...

Dear Carmi,

I just passed my one year mark and loved reading about your previous blogging milestones (although artificially generated by the calendar!) ... nonetheless, congrats on three years of blogging. I hope it has been wonderful and fulfilling.

Looking forward to seeing what you do this year! Cheers and peace, JP

Anna said...

Wow, three years...that is quite a milestone! I have truly enjoyed my 9 months of coming here.....I love that you have taken us all on a journey with your words, thoughts and of course...that NIKON.

Thanks Carmi I look forward to many more posts from you...

Also, the pic...I saw it and I was reminded of when i was a teenager and first learned to ski on snow. My skis used to cross over eachother all the time when I was first learning and this is what I saw when I looked down at them...

Crazy but that is what I see....

Anna said...

One more thing...I am so glad that you started doing images because frankly Carmi, I am a visual processor and while I like to read...photos really speak to my heart and mind.

caramaena said...

Congrats on 3 years! May there be many more :)

Star said...

Isn't it great, this blogging thing? I like leaving a written record. Maybe someday my grandson will go back and read what life was like in Grandmam's day.

Anonymous said...

heya Carmi! Saw you were quoted while reading MSN Sympatico this morning about the iPhone not hitting Canada on the launch date... I'm seeing you quoted everywhere these days!

:D Happy blogoversary!

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

Congratulations....3 yrs sounds like a long time...and am glad u decided to stick around tough most of your blogging friends gave up. :)

Nestor Family said...

Cool. 3 years! I am glad I happened upon your blog, Carmi. Thanks for the welcome, too.

Best wishes always.

Anonymous said...

Three years! Happy Anniversary. I have only been going for about six months. I look forward to reading your blog for another three years Carmi.

Thanks for your thoughts and take care.