Five Years!

Today, dear readers, marks the fifth year since I started this modest little blog. It was a different time back then. I didn't know The Rules. My sidebar was much, much smaller. I thought any blog I came across was interesting. I still do, but you'd better impress me if I'm going to add you to my Bloglines feeds. I didn't really know what I was doing with my blog back then. Ironically, I think it was really more of a journal back then, like it should be. The posts were shorter, and I talked a lot about school. I did a couple memes, but nothing like the large number I participate in now.

Look at me now! Five years later, my blog has emerged into something fairly consistent. I do many memes, yes, but I've dedicated myself to them so I can't help it. I think you still learn something about me from reading them, so are they really bad?

I don't have anything like school to blog about, so the ins and outs of my daily life have been shoved aside for bigger things. I do quite a few reviews now. I review albums, I review TV shows, I review concerts. I share with you my photography, making this a partial photoblog. Once in a while, I'll go into my own head and post an opinion or a rant. Cherish those moments, because they don't come often.

Where do we go from here? What do I want my blog to become in the next five years? I think the past two months have offered hints and clues. I want to rededicate myself to blogging as best I can. I've tried to re-examine what is and isn't bloggable. All those little moments when I see something and say "that's interesting" or have a particularly profound those - those are the moments I need to write about on here. I realize links aren't exactly original content, but I want to share them with you anyway. I'll try to at least offer my take on what I'm linking to.

The future of this blog is in the features I create. Every Saturday, I give you a good sampling of whatever interesting photos I see on Flickr. I don't know how many of my readers look at them, but I hope those who do get some enjoyment from it. I've started a new feature, the "Pond Prompts." Those questions are more personal in nature, which will balance things quite nicely. I've reloaded the "Blog Roundup" feature - perhaps I'll do the same with a few other things I used to do on here.

Of course, the memes will continue, but I want to expand this blog as much as possible. My goal, right now, is to provide at least one non-meme post per day. I may slip up from time to time, but I'll give it my best shot.

I don't usually beg for comments, but on this occasion, I think I'll offer the opportunity. The comment box for this post is your place to tell me what you like about my blog, what you don't like about my blog, ideas you have for my blog, or just your general thoughts about my little place on the internet. Thanks for reading, and stick around for the next five years!