I know what you're probably thinking. 1000 is the big number, what's he doing with 999? Well, I'm trying to buck the system a little. And using the word "spectacular" in the title may be a little misleading. Because there is nothing spectacular about this post. As with any of my other 998 blog postings, it will be nothing more than my own thoughts and ramblings set to the beat of some 30s-era jazz. That's how it sounds in my head when I read it back anyway. I don't know how you hear things when you're reading them. Maybe you like to imagine the voice of Morgan Freeman reading my posts back to you. I'm cool with that too.
So yeah, nine-hundred-ninety-nine individual posts. I've come a long way since I started this little blog. I'm not saying I've become incredibly popular or garnered international attention or fame, but I do have two or three readers overseas. Since this blog's inception, I've gained a number of regular readers and followers, which I'm really grateful for. See, before all of this, writing was something that was very personal to me. Writing down my own thoughts was something I kept in a private Word document that only I was privy to. I never thought I'd reach a point where I would be willing to publish my words on the internet for any and everyone to see. Not that everyone sees it, but the possibility exists.
And yet, I look back at many of the things I've posted and see that I still keep myself somewhat guarded. Maybe that's a good thing. Most of the people that stumble upon this blog, I don't know. But then, there are more than a few people who navigate their way here that I do know. I still haven't decided if it's easier to share your more intimate thoughts with strangers or friends. Either way, I know that there are still a lot of things that I tend to hold back.
I went through a title change about two years ago. At first, the blog was called "The Single Guy," an aspect that I've returned to explore a little more these days. But I changed it to "Carp Dime" to reflect something else. Though I'm not exactly sure what it is that "Carp Dime" is intended to reflect. It could reflect the random nature of this blog. So many sites out there have a particular focus. Blogs about cooking and recipes are a dime a dozen, but they're quite popular. I can't exactly do a blog that focuses on raising kids, since I have none. I can't write about the ins and outs of marriage. I can't even keep a lighthearted blog about life with a pet. I'm just this single guy that has a fairly unique world view. I notice the random things that happen around me and I write about them. I mock them. I share them.
But I think, also, about what "Carp Dime" is supposed to mean. It's a term coined by a rather crazy old lady who was probably trying to say carpe diem. It's a Latin phrase that a lot of optimists like to throw out encouraging us to seize the day. Now, I'm too cynical to be a pure optimist. Real life gets in the way far too often for me to always feel that the glass is half full. But should that stop me from having a Carp Dime attitude?
I'm not trying to get on a Tony Robbinsesque soap box and I'm not trying to start a new way of thinking that will revolutionize the way people live their lives. I'm just starting to think that, if I've got a blog that takes its title from seizing the day, maybe I should start seizing a little more. I complain about a lot of things. Mostly, I complain about work. At the moment, it's my lot in life, but it doesn't always have to be like this. Instead of simply complaining about it, what opportunities am I seizing to change that situation? Things like that should be a lesson to me. I should be more willing to put myself out there, not caring about the consequences of the decisions I make. If I do what I believe to be right and good, then the outcome shouldn't matter, as long as I can walk away with a clear conscience, knowing that I gave my all.
Tomorrow I will post my thousandth installment to Carp Dime. It will be interesting, once I hit number 2000, to look back and see what has changed since number 999.
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