One year ago today, I created James' Thoughts and Musings. See Hello! I Can Create a Blog! for my very first post.
So why did I give my first post that title? Because I didn't know creating a blog was that easy! I thought I'd have to pay money I didn't have. But I had a Blogger account, which I used when I commented on Ben Witherington's site. And that account was my gateway into the blogosphere!
A lot of people have switched to Wordpress, which seems to get more hits and responses. But there's a soft spot in my heart for Blogger. For one, I like the way it looks. And, second, it's so user-friendly. I once started a web site for political articles, and things I typed would mysteriously get lost! But Blogger automatically saves what I type, even before I finish a post.
From the beginning, I was blessed. Jim West got the word out about my blog. And I think that several people have learned of my blog through John Hobbins' site, Ancient Hebrew Poetry. After that, others found out about it and added me to their blogrolls. And I met all kinds of people.
My blog is labelled a "biblioblog," and it's partly that. It's not exactly the most scholarly blog in the world, since most of my discussion on the Bible revolves around my daily and weekly quiet times. But I do bring in scholarly insights every now and then, even though my focus is largely devotional. I've written political posts, which have gotten various reactions from all over the political spectrum. And I've talked about my favorite television shows: 7th Heaven, Lost, Smallville, etc., etc. So it's partly a biblioblog, I guess. Let's call it "biblio-plus"!
Have things occurred according to my expectations? Yes and no. Like most bloggers, I hope to get more readers this coming year, but you know the old cliche: "Be careful what you wish for." I may not have time in the future to read tons of comments! I'm not sure if I expected to write about my Asperger's when I first started my blog, but that's exactly what happened. Some may not like me whining about my life, while others may actually appreciate those posts. In any case, I write every now and then about my struggles, even though I don't make every post a whine-fest. I also didn't expect to talk about Alcoholics Anonymous, since quitting drinking was not even on my radar at the time. But AA has given me a lot of spiritual food, and it's allowed me to meet interesting people.
A big reason I started my blog was to give myself a voice. It always seems as if everyone else has opinions, while I have difficulty getting mine out (due to timidity or poor social skills). Now, my beliefs are out there, for everyone to see.
I also like the way that my blog has led to dialogue within my family. Now, my family gets to know what I'm thinking. And they also talk more with each other about issues.
What should you expect to read this following year? Well, the conventions are coming up, and I'll be writing a "Top-10 Best Moments" for the Republican National Convention. I may do a "Top-5" for the Democrats, but I can't think of anything from their conventions that actually thrilled me.
I may get more into academics this coming year. I'll be reading for my comps, and I'm looking for a way to absorb what I'm reading. To be honest with you, I hate academic books! Leave it to an academic to make a compelling subject like religion into the sort of stuff you'd find in a technical manual. But I need to find a way to read actively rather than passively, and I may do so by commenting on what I read.
For my daily quiet times, I'm moving into the apocrypha. I'm hesitant to move outside of my Jewish-Protestant canon, but I think that knowing the apocrypha can help me as a scholar. The last time I tried to read the apocrypha in my daily quiet time, I gave up somewhere in Maccabees. I simply didn't know what to say about it! And I usually did those quiet times at night, when I struggled to stay awake. Now, however, I'll be starting with Maccabees to get it over with. And I may read it with more alertness, since I don't drink alcohol anymore.
I'll most likely get a job this coming year, and when you add to that my schoolwork, the result will be shorter posts. But I may save my long, elaborate posts for Saturdays.
And I'll continue to write about my life. You know, being shy and introverted, I'm surprised I have as many stories as I do. I often feel as if I'm all alone--as if I don't know anybody, and nobody knows me. But I've learned through the course of this blog that I have all sorts of anecdotes. And I'm gaining more of them as time goes on.
It's been a good year, and I'm thankful for all the friends I've met here. I'm looking forward to another year of James' Thoughts and Musings!