When I looked at my Might Elroy blog today, I realized two things. One, I needed to write something before the month ended. Two, my last blog was my 100th posting in this blog. I will admit that the Mighty Elroy has evolved a lot over the years. It used to be a way to keep people up to date with what was going on. I had Top 10 lists for most of the early ones, but that has been largely replaced. Over time I started to use this blog as a means of speaking my mind and using my voice in a way that I have never done before. I never expected my blog to become anything substantial in the limitless world of the internet, and so far that expectation has been largely met. Still, it is nice to know that some of my posts have been read by a few hundred individuals, some of them being strangers. So to celebrate this recent achievement, I thought I would share a few things I learned as I blogged.
1. Simply talking is no guarantee that you will be heard. I have noticed that the blogs that I share via social media seem to generate the most page views. When I put forth an effort to advertise myself a bit, people will be more likely to listen. I think the same is true in life. Many times we find ourselves speaking without anyone else listening. That is not always a bad thing, but it is also worth noting. Just saying something is often not enough to be heard. You have to put yourself out there in the process.
2. You can discuss the difficult topics without being difficult. I have addressed a few noteworthy topics in this blog. Everything from misogyny to how zoos treat their animals, from showing compassion and tolerance to gun violence. I have shown my dislike of President Trump and my disappointment in the general decline of morals and values in our society. Yet, even touching on these sometimes controversial topics, I have always tried to avoid causing others grief. I have not always been successful, but I think I succeed more often than I don't in those regards. However, even if you try to avoid being difficult...
3. You cannot apologize for giving a message that may be difficult for some to hear. Sometimes I can deliver a message that I feel is important without ruffling other people's proverbial feathers. Other times, however, people are going to get their feathers ruffled no matter how you say something. Hey, I think treating all Muslims with suspicion and fear is misguided and wrong. If my saying so makes you uncomfortable, then I am not worried about that. Perhaps you needed to be challenged in that manner. I have learned that my greatest growth and change comes when I have been challenged and made to feel uncomfortable.
4. Surprises still happen. I have been surprised by how many people have read and shared my blog, by who has read and shared my blog, and by where they are from. Sometimes I write something and it is hardly looked at, Sometimes I write something and the unlikely happening of more than 100 people read it. I am not sure what the magic formula is, but it is nice to know that I can still be pleasantly surprised.
5. Nice matters a lot too. Sometimes my blog posts that mean the most to people are the ones that are about relatively small things, such as a fun day at the park that taught me a valuable insight. My most read blog was a tribute to an actor that was important to me growing up. Bring the niceness. It does more good than you may think it will.
6. Final thing I have learned, is that blogging is fun. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable as you put a piece of yourself out there, but it is fun. If nothing else, you make a mark. It may not be a significant mark, but you have made one.
I hope you enjoyed everything I have written so far, and that you will continue to enjoy what I put forward in the future.
