Today, my friends, The Clarity of Night is five years old.
A bit of a milestone, no?
(What's that in marriage anniversaries, a clock or something?)
This run has been more successful than I could have imagined. Years ago, I remember wistfully looking at a popular blogger who broke 250,000 visits and thinking, wow, if I could do what she did (without chronicling sexual escapades, that is), it would be amazing! Now that I'm knocking on the door of 500,000 visits, the truth is that YOU are the amazing ones.
On a more melancholy note, I did give serious thought about whether this is an opportune time to close The Clarity of Night. Maybe it's time to fade back into the twilight. It has to happen sometime, right? These five years have seen some of my best times, and also some of my worst. I'm poured all through these posts. The biggest reason that I am deciding NOT to close my blog now is that I'm so used to having this outlet that I don't think it would be good for me to lose it. Except for two missed days, I've produced 3 posts a week consistently for 5 years. And it hasn't been work. It's been freeing, challenging, fun, inspiring, and cathartic. I guess I'm not ready to stop. So here's to a bunch more!!
Thanks to my regular reader/commenters, thanks to the lurkers, and most of all, thanks for pulling up a chair with a glass of wine and watching the sun give way to a clear, cozy night.
33 comments:
This post made me smile! I was contemplating the same thing when I completed my one year, but decided against it for the same reason :)
Trust me, I'd be terrible if you stopped. Out of an ocean of bloggers finding another one like you would be quite a task, to say the least!
Here's to the next 5 years of self-expression. Cheers!
Oh, and before I forget, thank you for writing.
I have been a loyal lurker and fitful commenter on this site for the past three years.
Congrats on completing the five years (and flourishing), and here's to many more to come!
Ohh!Congratulations on the five year milestone...Cheers!I wanna wish Aine for this as well:)
My heart stopped a second when I read you might close down this place.I really really enjoy your writing and have been reading it since a very long time..It's just these days that I have started commenting and blogging myself.
I so agree with Atrisa on this: Out of an ocean of bloggers finding another one like you would be quite a task!
Thank you for putting-up superb contests,scribblings,pics...they are brilliant!
~Cheers
ET
Let us party on!
Warm Aloha from Waikiki :)
Comfort Spiral
Congrats, here's to another 5 years of Clarity of Night!
*reading with growing excitement; smiling; sitting at the edge of the seat; frowning; gasping for air; wiping her foreehad; smiling*
cheers,
szf
Congratulations Jason!
Clarity of night has changed my way to look at reading and writing to a great extent.For good!
Congratulations on your blogaversary! Glad you decided to stick around!
Oh WOW! Jason that is soooooo cool! Good for you! I hope you stick around for a lot longer too :)
Except for two missed days, I've produced 3 posts a week consistently for 5 years.
Many kudos to you, Jason! That's a true accomplishment.
Close this? Where would we turn to for guidance then? :)
I've only been around for a couple of years I guess, but it still feels like ages. And whenever I look back at my journey as a writer, CoN would always be the hand that made me take the first steps.
Cheers Jason!
Congratulations!
I nearly quit blogging this summer because my numbers were waning, comments have slowed to a trickle, and I was having a hard time thinking of stuff to blog about. But I've gotten my second wind and will continue on too.
I admire your consistency and quality of your posts!
I have been blogging since 2004, and I closed the blog once . But I was soon back again. You don't want to lose so many friends in one go!
Happy anniversary! Don't leave! Write, write, write!
What The Tree said...
;-)
*raising a toast to both you and Aine*
Happy anniversary, Jason. And thank you for not closing your virtual door!
Holy cow! Five years-that's like a century. (To me, anyway.)
Congrats!
So glad you decided to keep your blog. :)
Atrisa, thanks for saying that. :) Your comment made me smile in return! Big time.
Damyanti, I had no idea! That is so cool!! Thanks very much for crossing over into non-lurker status.
Erratic Thoughts, I didn't know that you were a long time lurker either! I'm really humbled. Thank you for being such a wonderful reader in the open too. :)
Cloudia, indeed!
Lee, wow, to think of another 5 years is daunting. I hope we've all hit big milestones by then.
Szelsofa, I think blogging gives you the same sort of release. Thanks for being a constant friend!
Rohan, I'm very humbled, thank you! I have to say that other blogs did the same for me. They taught me things about writing that I might never have learned on my own.
Karen, you too are an anchor in this corner of the world. Your poetry is always so insightful and artfully crafted.
Tabitha, I'm very glad that you found me (or did I find you?). Either way, it was a good thing.
Loren, in a weird way, it meant a lot to me to keep it going on time. Like there was at least one thing in my life that I achieved without fail.
Aniket, you've definitely been part of all this for a long time too! You are your own influence out there now. Great to see!
Strugglingwriter, I've updated my feed reader and look forward to following your new blogging wave! You've been a wonderfully consistent friend too. It's very much appreciated.
Mona, so true. So true. :)
Precie, wise words. Wise guidance. Thanks!
Chris, I'll gladly do that toast with you. :)
Deb, thanks for saying so! I'm glad to keep the door open too.
Oddyoddyo13, yes, for you it certainly is! Just think how different you'll be after the next five. And yet, I guarantee that you'll be surprised at how much is the same.
wow, 5 years and 500 000+ visitors, that's awesome!
Please don't close any sooner than you absolutely have to. While I may be a lurker (google reader doesn't lend itself to making comments), I always look forward to your posts.
Keep up the good work!
THINKING OF CLOSING THE BLOG?
sir! you dot break something this fine.
and that many visits are a thumbs up to you. you got them here. us here*
and well 5 years! grand :)
Happy 5th.
Five years and I've just found you?!?! I have not commented before but look forward to reading your posts. I like the idea of pulling up a chair with a glass of wine - my kind of evening ~.
Congrats on five years. I only learned of your blog last month, and it would be a pity if you closed down shop. Glad to read that you're going to continue.
Cheers!
C
Shadow, thank you!
Cat, I'll do that. I'll let it carry me as long as it can.
Raj, thanks. :) Blogs do kind of take on a life of their own, don't they? I don't relish the thought of taking that away.
Travis, thanks!
Lee, then I have a chair just to your liking. I'm glad we're crossing paths now, at least!
C, the contests do reach new folks each time. Glad that it reached you!
Jason, it does not surprise me that you have been here five years and are still growing. Your themes are universal, your writing sharp and tight, your posts are innovative, and you are generous enough to showcase other writers! Plus - your photography is eye candy. Here's to another five!
With admiration, KLG
I'm glad you came to that decision, else we may have had to stalk you until you started up again ;)
Happy 5-year anniversary (better late than never, as usual..!)
Hi jason,belated CONgrats on 5th anniVERSE-necessary:)for CoN!
I arrived at my 5th anniVERSEon Ides of march 2010, and months later, I was fatigued, and took leave from my mainly socio-political blogging UNTIL"UNCOVERED" CoN contest came along, and put me back to Creative writing. So it's back to some poetry,thanks to thy inspiration.
The anthem featured at my cyber home FOR GOOD is dedicated to mateys like you:)--Desi
Kaye, those are very high compliments. I can only say, thank you!! You've been part of my blog life for a long, long time.
Terri, ha! Cyberstalking...not pretty. ;) I'm glad to stay.
Desi, I love the world reach of what we do here. Thanks for proving that any ocean can be crossed.
Jason, I'm so glad you didn't decide to chunk it, I just found you!
~that rebel, Olivia
Jason, if you stopped blogging, I would feel that magic had died.
Olivia, so glad to have you here.
Bernita, your comment stayed with me all day. One of the nicest things someone has said to me in a while. Thank you. Truly.
Post a Comment