If you’re reading today because you found my blog through Freshly Pressed last week, I’m glad you decided to give Down the Road a whirl. I’ve been writing this blog for almost four years to very little notice from the world. Each new post gets maybe 20 or 30 visits in its first few days. I don’t mind; my meager readership’s comments reward me richly. I’ve been perfectly happy to toil in obscurity.
Someone who commented on my Freshly Pressed post about grammar supposed that I would now have a massively large readership. I certainly did for two days! Watching the hits pile up was exhilarating and responding to all the comments was a hoot. Check out the stats; it’s not hard to figure out which two days it was.
I do write about writing once in a while here on Down the Road, but as you can see from my tag cloud at right my blog is much more about other things. Lately, my favorite topics have been:
- Exploring old roads. I have an explorer’s heart; for me, the journey is the destination. I spend my warm-weather free time taking road trips, and I write about them extensively. When I explored US 5o across Indiana last summer, I found some great old alignments of the road and a covered bridge undergoing restoration.
- Collecting cameras. I love vintage photographica and enjoy building my collection of 20th-century cameras, especially rangefinders and folders. A couple of my favorite old cameras are my Argus A-Four and my Canon Canonet QL17 G-III.
- Faith and personal growth. I follow Christ. I’m also introspective to a fault. I like to write about both my inner and faith journeys, especially when they intersect. Read about how old hymns restored energy to my faith, how breaking my favorite coffee mug taught me a lesson about attachment, and how a tiny apartment helped me heal from my divorce.
- Stories from my life. For a simple guy from Indiana, I sure have had some great adventures. Read about how Filet-O-Fish sandwiches remind me of my ornery West Virginia great grandmother, the time I was humiliated live on the radio, and how standing in the Berlin Wall’s shadow made me realize what freedom means. Oh, and then there was the Frozen Glue Incident.
If you enjoy what you see here, I hope you’ll keep reading and commenting! Upcoming posts include a reflection on the value of Christmas, a photograph from the site of a famous American Indian battle, and my annual look at the most popular posts of the year. (Guess which one wins.)
Well, you certainly have got more readers, and I’m one of them.
Thanks, Megha! I hope you enjoy it.
Where would we be without you, Jim. :)
Somewhat less amused?
Always enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for keeping with it even though you were you’re “toiling in obscurity”.
I’m quite used to being obscure! :-)
I don’t really understand the Freshly Pressed selection process, but once in a while it does point people to some very good posts. I certainly enjoyed the grammar one and obviously it struck a chord in others. I’m going to read about your humiliation on live radio now. I love a good story about humiliation.
I hope my story met your expectations!
Wow, love the screen shot of your page views during Freshly Pressed. That’s crazy! I’ve read many posts lately concerning readership and stats (or lack thereof) so I liked reading that you were content toiling in obscurity :)
I haven’t read the grammar post yet (I was intrigued by the cat picture) but I will do so now. And I’ll have to see if I can find that humiliation storymentioned by the previous commenter…
Crazy, but fun! The humiliation story is linked in the post above; click on “humiliated live on the radio.”
I had to unsub from the grammar post because it was filling my inbox! You certainly struck a chord with it. Must be part of your 15 minutes of fame, which in this case stretched out to 2 days. LOL. Merry Christmas!
I have a policy of responding to comments, well, almost all of them anyway. The grammar post really had me on the ropes!!
Holy mackerel! Over 5,000 hits in one day?!
You deserve it, but gosh. I am in awe.
It’s the Freshly Pressed Effect.
I also toil in obscurity. You’re talented. Sometimes someone wins Freshly Pressed, and I think, “Why?” I agree with your comments about grammar, and the post today about faith was even better.
Thanks for saying such nice things about my work. I’m glad you’re reading!