Tootin' the Horn

I was listening to the Technology Tailor on WGN Radio on Sunday. Alex was doing a segment on the most life-altering technology in the past several years, and invited listeners to call in and share their thoughts. I heard about iPods and iPhones, eBay and Google, DVD players, Blue Tooth technology, cell phones, etc. and it got me to thinking.

I picked up the phone and dialed in, because the technology that has made the biggest difference in my life in the past several years has, hands down, been Blogger. Why?

It's allowed me a freedom of expression like no other I've ever experienced.

It's opened up all sorts of dialog with other people, and given me perspective on other people's points of view... especially valuable for understanding those I don't agree with.

I've met innumerable friends, either through email or in person, that I never would have met any other way. Nine blogmeets later, I've traveled to places I probably wouldn't have put on my travel wish list, but now can't live without. I know people doubt that any sort of real friendships can be made over the web, but you'd have a very difficult time proving it by my experience.

I use it almost daily. I can't say that about any technology other than my battery-operated toothbrush. I could live without the whistles and bells on the brush, but I can't imagine not having my little niche in the blogosphere.

When I first started blogging, I had no site meter. I truly was sending love letters out to the ether, not knowing or caring who was reading. After about 18 months I finally added one. I'll never know how many visits my first posts generated... but I know that I thank each and every person who's taken the time to stop by... and even greater thanks to those that return again and again.

Who knew that four years down the road I'd still be blogging and many of the folks who inspired me in the first place would be gone or posting only sporadically? You have to be a little nuts to do this, after all:


Happy fourth blogiversary to me!