1900 & Counting

 Here it is, midOctober, and I am thinking of various events and circumstances that are important at the moment.  Taking it to a micro scale, since most of you are aware of larger issues like covid19, USA presidential election, and so forth, I'd like to share some changes this month marks.  Personally, focusing on my own person, literally figuratively, of course, means that I'm a bit more than half the woman I had been last year.

I am one year post bariatric surgery, have been about 160-165lbs for several weeks now.  I'm smaller in the torso than I have ever been as an adult; wearing a size small in USA terms, which is about a 4 to 6.  I'm wearing a large in pants, a size 12 or 34/36.  My thighs are a bit loose {*gasp* loose!??!?  but are they cheap AND fast?  cuz that'd be the perfect trifuckinfecta, right there!} and there really isn't anyway to wear something that fits in the waist without being too tight in the thighs at the moment.  Then again, there is really no way to wear something that fits in the torso without my shoulders seeming to be disproportionately broad.  My mom always did say having broad shoulders was a good thing, solemnly nodding.  This is one more reason to wear clothes that are fitted, specially tailored JUST FOR ME, customized to fit my specific body and frame, meant to fit and flatter my figure.

The ONLY benefit that I can see for being obese is that my bones are thicker and stronger, since they carried around lots of weight.  However, that benefit is easily outweighed by the number and severity of potential risks and hazards.  Simply put, the detriments of being obese are not worth it.  Esp since stronger thicker bones are attainable even if one is not obese:  exercise, engage in frequently occurring physical activity, build your muscles and tone your body, increase the oxygenated blood circulation by moving your body, eat healthy foods, laugh often, and be sure to drink lots of water and get lots of restive sleep so that you are truly caring for yourself, your body, your spirit, your mental health, your emotional wellbeing.

So what does this title "1900 & Counting" refer to?  Over the past fifteen years, I've blogged publicly; sometimes I'd go thru and prune the entries, editing or deleting them if they are no longer relevant and meaningful to either me or readers.  So even tho my current blog considers this to be my 1900th entry, it's actually been many more; but these are the posts that have thus far survived.  Tomorrow it may be less, if I were to decide to trim more.  Or tomorrow, there may be more posts, if I blog more between now and then.  I won't make any promises as I know that often intentions and plans mean nothing without action and the resulting consequences.

In the next 77 days, I'd like to make a hundred more meaningful posts; this will bring my blogs total to 2000.  I'm seven views shy of 75 thousand, these are counted by unique hits and exclude my own forays; this gives me a more accurate idea of genuine interest versus someone merely refreshing the page to artificially inflate numbers.  At the moment, the blog has 2621 comments.  I delete those that are spam or bot originated.

Well, debRAHHHH, reading these last two paragraphs, it seems like you're in it for the numbers, the equivalent of FB's likes and thumbsUP; is that so?  Hm, I think that the blog has changed over the years.  At first, I blogged to process my own thoughts and points of view, sharing those and becoming part of an online community {way back with AOL had Journalland and John Scalzi was the blogfather, having yet to publish his Old Man's War, and Athena was just a tyke, and Ghlaghghee {pronounced like it's spelled, "fluffy"} was the equivalent of the librarian's cat}.

That's when I first realized that for me, writing is a form of thinking.  It's also when I realized that folks like my writing in general {Judith HeartSong awarded me a piece of her original artwork for the best written accounting of "how art affects my life" contest held back in 2004} and that gave me a true voice, when I was having a difficult time within many of my real time interactions, often feeling overwhelmed and overpowered.  Over the years, my blog has been very instrumental as my true self has been captured here, with  full range of happy joyous expression, frustration, scorn, disgust, encouragement, support, cheer, deliberation, celebration, depression, manic leaps, reflection, etc.

I've also published lots in the earlier years, then skipping over huge swaths of time with a tiny blurb here or there.  AOL did away with Journals, Blogger/Blogspot allowed folks to transfer and transition, audiences shifted, frequency, fervency, and FB were factored in and the impact of each can be seen, of course.  What does this mean NOW? 

Well, my recent past has been filled with me writing lots via FB's messenger/chat/PM/DM with particular individuals rather than engaging in creative writing, novels, manuscripts, short stories, etc.  Blogging is a nice combination of the two, something a bit deeper and more significant than, "hey there, thanks for reaching out and being proactive by asking what it is that you'd like to know!  You asked me to explain...and here's an explanation that will give you a better idea of....thanks, have a lovely day/evening/weekend" but not as personal as a card, letter, eMail.  Part of my daily routine for so long has included writing, in some form; so I'll continue to write, tho I think that shifting the format in which I do write is right for me for right now.

Right?

How do you use writing in your life?  Remember to consider texting, typing, longhand, email, cards, notes, etc.  Do you leave notes for your roommate on the kitchen counter?  Pack a post it note with the kids' lunches?  Leave yourself a reminder on your steering wheel {"GAS, debRAHHH"} or in lipstick on your bathroom mirror {SMILE, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL}?

Did you use crayons to journal as a child?  Do you still?  Why do/not you do so now?

Next up:  Gratitude Journal!