How Typical - !

...I forgot my anniversary! The anniverary of this blog, that is. Yes, it has been over a year since I began blogging Constantly Amazed, Yet Never Surprised. I had planned to do a special post on the day, but oh well.

My very first post was on 9/24/04; it was basically just a test, like most peoples' first posts. But some of my posts from October 2004 really describe why I began doing this. They are "Why Am I Here?" (10/2/04), and "It's Never Too Late to Speak for Change" (10/11/04). You'll also see my little anti-SUV rant which has become even more relevent today!

When you read them, you may be struck by the same conclusion as me: little has changed. Or, more accurately, nothing has improved. Is it any wonder so many of us have gotten so depressed and struggled with writer's block lately (you know who you are, my friends)? Still, we persevere, and we maintain a spark of hope, flickering as it may be.

But among the depressing bits are some real positives that have occurred through blogging. For one thing, I resumed frequent contact with an old friend of mine who also has his own blog, Screams From the Wilderness. I have also met many new friends in cyberspace; like Mochi et al at Liberal Thought, my international friends at Pourquoi Pas?; I contribute posts to both of those blogs. Also, there's Windspike, Romablog, Sar, Via, Overseas Will, Ken, Charone (on hiatus?), and a whole lot of others... you can peruse the blogroll. And, of course, my favorite art blog, ArtBella - I know her, you know 8^)

And, yes, there are a few nemesis out there, too. Right-wingers with whom I have done battle. Some with whom I have found some common ground, like Jack, or Cut To, others who are hopelessly deluded by the neocon hard-sell, and some who are paranoid, xenophobic, selfish, self-righteous hypocrites - the republican base, I think.

What a ride! As I write this, my hit counter is up to 10,392. I certainly hope that before too long, this will become a happy-cheerful-flowers-and-sunshine blog. But until that day comes, I will forge ahead as long as I can, venting my angst about the status quo and doing, well... what we all try to do. Survive.