200,000 Hits and Counting!

Art by the incomparable J.C. Leyendecker.

(Jeez, I feel like a hitman keeping score.)

I checked my blog stats today and was amazed to see that in so many words... has amassed over 200,000 page views. Now this seems incredible to me since I've only been blogging for a little under two years. I began mid-2010. (Though the google overseer thinks I began in Jan. Not so.)

I'm thinking maybe google blogger is counting my own views, the fussing I do every day on my blog. I pressed the button on the stats page to stop my views being counted, but, you never know. I can hardly believe that 200,000 people across the world are that interested in anything I have to say about anything. I mean, really.

But they count the mistaken hits too, so the crop of them are probably people on google searching for who knows what and stumbling across me by accident. Hopefully those who do, look around and stay awhile.

Be that as it may, I am very pleased.

And who am I to thank for all this?

Why you, of course. It is a verifiable truth that I could not have done it without you. A goopy cliche but that doesn't make it not true. It's your encouragement that keeps me going even on days when I feel like the hangiest dog that ever hanged. Even when I'm down in the dumps or feeling out of sorts with the universe, you guys cheer me up.

Your comments, emails and just general neighborly-ness make me feel there's a reason to keep going on with this blogging thing. Here's the secret: blogging can be a lot of fun - if you don't let it take over your life. When I start feeling the pressure, I take a step back and slow down. I always said that when blogging stopped being fun, I'd stop. Well, it hasn't, so I haven't.

You guys make me keep on keeping on. So for that and for many other things, I thank you today with all my heart.