today i have been blogging for a decade! i started because andrew jones persauded me - i didn't really know quite why or what the point was at the time but it has been a wonderful adventure.so happy blogiversary to me! i confess i don't know how to celebrate but i will be drinking a chimay in the new inn in ealing tonight whilst watching chelsea v barcelona - so come and share a drink with me there if you are a blog reader nearby or alternatively pour yourself a glass at your computer - and virtually cheers!
anyway a massive THANK YOU to any of you who have
- read posts
- commented
- looked at my photos
- joined in conversation
- followed on facebook
- followed on twitter
- linked
- retweeted
- argued
- been inspired
- been annoyed
- been made to think
- found hope
- smiled
- developed ideas
- used or indeed given a worship trick
- connected
- become friends
- shared the journey
my first ever blog entry is here - scroll to the bottom of the page
ancient history - remember that blogger template and dial up?! there were about 10 of us blogging then...
here's ten blogging experiences over the years - anyone else recognise these?!
- being at a meal with people and all your conversation is old hat because people have read it on your blog - 'you got any new conversation?!'
- looking at everything in the world as a possible blog entry
- being invited to other countries through people who know you through your blog (usa, canada, denmark, norway, france, australia...)
- making wonderful friends - is there a name for meeting someone online and then in bodily form?
- blogging anywhere
- realising your wife can steal your thunder any time she likes - jenny did one blog post for me which became the one with most comments i had ever had and subsequently started a wonderful blog herself which won a blog award while i came runner up - she must increase, i must decrease…
- composing a blog post and in your head imagining the world's astonishment at your insights, posting it and waiting for the comments and there being total silence
- posting a trivial link and the conversation takes off and you wonder why bother with depth or originality?!
- blogging something too quickly out of a hot head and regretting it
- wondering if there is actually anyone out there at all
it was actually blogging that got me into photography again as i wanted to be able to post images to the blog so that's also been a great spin off...
anyway it's a habit i can't seem to shake off so here's to the next decade of the stream of consciousness i will no doubt inflict on the world - a mix of stuff that randomly flows between personal, family, mission, culture, faith, art, photography, the zeitgeist, creativity, pioneering, book reviews, music, proost, links and whatever else springs to mind!
update: i am highly honoured to have had an asbojesus cartoon drawn to celebrate this momentus occasion - thought i'd add it in to the post here...
Happy blog birthday Jonny! Your site is still one of my favourite places to visit.
Posted by: Ben | April 18, 2012 at 11:03 PM
Happy blogday to you, happy blogday to you, etc. etc. Thankyou for everything you've put up here, I've loved the worship tricks, and the links and thoughts on all sorts of creative things. My initial response was 'have blogs been around 10 years already?' I can relate to most of your 10, wondering what I have to do for '3' to become my reality!
Posted by: David Keen | April 19, 2012 at 08:20 AM
i love your first profile pic - its so 90s! Didn't realise you had a goatee back then too.
Posted by: Laul | April 19, 2012 at 09:44 AM
hmmm... i think it's worse losing to your wife in a best blogs comp when you're the only two in it! :-)
congrats to you best buddy... i shall have to come with some kind of insulting asbo cartoon to mark the occasion. :-) loveya. x
Posted by: jonbirch | April 19, 2012 at 02:23 PM
congrats Jonny. you've inspired many. keep it up!
Posted by: tim | April 19, 2012 at 06:35 PM
Well done for keeping it going! It's been a great read, both entertaining and challenging. May it continue for as long as you want it to! Cheers!
Posted by: Carole | April 19, 2012 at 08:08 PM
Happy Birthday Jonny. I've loved following along for the last decade. I've just passed the same milestone...
Posted by: Paul Fromont | April 19, 2012 at 08:29 PM
paul it turns pout we started blogging on exactly the same day...
thanks everyone... and thanks jon for the asbo!
Posted by: jonny | April 19, 2012 at 08:38 PM
jonny... you're welcome, buddy! :-)
paul... congratulations to you too! i have a bit of catching up to do. :-)
Posted by: jonbirch | April 24, 2012 at 12:23 AM
Well played, Jonny, for maintaining such an inspiring presence. I love the fact that you used the word "evo" in the first sentence or so of your first entry. Dates it beautifully. Well done for being the pioneer and pilgrim that you are. Always an inspiration.
Posted by: Brian Draper | April 24, 2012 at 03:16 PM
missed your blogobirthday - just catching up now - so.......virual happy happy happy everlasting..........and another decade's worth please, julie
Posted by: julie | May 01, 2012 at 08:37 PM
a bit late to the party... i'm just so grateful i stumbled onto your blog. it's literally opened whole worlds to me. thankyou x
Posted by: cheryl | May 03, 2012 at 05:54 AM