Eight years of writing

Yesterday, I opened my inbox to a pleasant shock and surprise. I had received a note from the Google analytics service which said that my blog had seen its 10000th visitor. Looking back, Is it an achievement? Well, Yes and No. No - because I didn't expect that many people to read what I wrote (and I'm thankful to them all !). Yes - because, I see the transition of Titan, the kid who had been awed by his exposure to a virtual world to the Titan, who is now realizing the value, virtue and vices of his virtual entity. And this blog has been one of the catalysts. As we say in tamizh movies, some elderly gentleman from the bygone era should have definitely said this (and I have no clue who he is) "A man's writing is a reflection of himself ". Actually, it doesn't matter if it hasn't been said so. It is at least largely true with most people that I have seen and known.

I happened to re-read my initial posts in this blog, which was written back in 2005. So many things have changed since then, so many things haven't. The most obvious is the content of the blog in itself. The transition from the half-broken language and muddled usage of words to a more clean and non-arbitrary diction in my writing (I recommend taking a look at my initial posts. I can assure you a 30 min episode worth laughter in it). But more interestingly, I found a significant change in the clarity of thought and in the structure of what I write. I do think (hope) there still is a fair bit of humor in my writing, but now, I also see the link between the words and the thoughts behind them. I'm guessing, this also means I have changed over time as a person. Maybe, maybe not.

Some of the complaints that I had been receiving from my readers (Yes! they do exist and they do reach out  to me by email too!)  is with the mix of technical (I mean, why not ! I'm a technology person still!) and non-technical posts in my blog. Some of them have out-right mentioned to me that those posts were boring, long, completely out of the blue and terribly uninteresting. Guilty as charged - but those posts are as much a part of me as my other posts are. And I'm sure you all know what I mean.

My writing has gained me many friends. When I was a kid, I remember the good old Amar chitra katha comics having a section called "Pen Pals". I used to wonder what it means. And now, I know. Some of my blogger friends (since I came to know them from the blogs) have been known to me for almost 8 years now, and I haven't met quite a few of them in person at all. But we have read our write-ups so many times over the years that, I think, if we happened to meet in the future, our conversation is likely to begin with a simple "Hey, What's up?". 

A common impediment that keeps many from writing on a public forum is the fear of saying something silly  and friends, relatives or prospective employers seeing it. I have seen many articles that spread this notion of being restrained or distancing your virtual avatar from yourself is a must. And to this end, I ask - if you are silly and write something silly and a person who you never meet in your life reads it, how does it matter? And if you do happen to meet him in the future, wouldn't he then realize that you are silly? I have found great satisfaction in my writing, and I write because it has helped me evolve. It has taught me to retrospect and constantly become a better person. I know many of my friends who would have loved to write, but haven't yet done so due to the fear of being judged. To them, I say - do write. Not for me, not for others, but for your own joy.

If that gentleman from the tamizh movies of the bygone era happens to stop by now and gives a talk about the virtues of writing, I'd pick up a coffee, switch off my cell-phone and listen.