Six Years Already?

                October marks the six year anniversary of A Minute with Michael. I’m also rapidly approaching the 1,000 blog post goal I set for myself.  (I’m only four away after this post.)  And I wonder, “What have I learned in all that time, in all those words?”

                Mostly I learned that people tend not to read something if it’s more than 1200 words.  So I suppose I should try and keep this short.

                I’ve learned to craft my voice. I’ve learned how to create a specific position and build a poem or story around it while also being open enough for it to be relatable in general.  I learned a poem can transcend most cultural barriers and a good story is universal. I’ve learned that my words are actions.  And both can speak loudly.

                It’s a new idea for me actually. I’ve often despised the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words”.  That’s often a real issue for introverts like me. The time and crafting it takes to create the right words often takes more effort than any fleeting gesture. I think the phrase is more apt when you’re helping walk an old lady across the street than it does when trying to show someone how much you love them. I need the words to do it because frankly, I’m often a colossal failure at actions.  Try as I might, it never seems to go according to plan, or my fool mouth ruins it by saying something that I think is pithy but it’s really just snotty. So I depend on the words I write to help shave away at the crust of my miserable attempts at action.  My actions mean well, but my words mean more.

                I’m not an action type guy.  I do not crave adventure or daring-do. I accept the tedium and temporary annoyances as best I can, knowing I will never have the luxury of pulling an ancient item from the sands and saying, “It belongs in a museum”, and then fighting Nazi’s on a motorcycle with a flagpole lance. I don’t imagine I’d be capable of even doing that. Although, I might have a wise ass remark I’d make from the sideline, which would get me shot. And as I lay dying I’d think, “I wish I had written that down”.

                Yes, I’ve learned quite a lot from writing this blog for six years.  In that time I’ve loved and lost, thought I loved again and lost that, pined for the girl I couldn’t get, embraced tragedy be it local or national, I’ve discovered my issues with anxiety and learned ways to deal with it, gone through unemployment, published a book, made new friends and lost some along the way.  I’ve learned that life doesn’t wait and it’ll go on one way or another whether we want it to or not.

               

                I’m grateful I’ve had this opportunity to hopefully entertain you. I certainly hope you’re entertained. Or at least I’ve provoked some thoughts, or feelings, or made you feel a part of something larger than yourself. I know that I feel a great sense of joy when I know that my words have been in your brain and we’ve shared that moment together.  So I’ll keep going, four more to go, and beyond. Thank you for your loyal readership over these six years and I hope I can keep you entertained for the years to come.