I had to talk myself into writing this post because I don’t know if I have anything to say that I haven’t said before. Let’s see how it turns out.
Three years today, I started this blog. I had no idea what I was doing, but I figured that it didn’t really matter because no one would care about anything I had to write. (Except for my best friend, Chris). He’s gonna be so happy about that shout-out.
I thought that I’d send it to some friends to read and make an occasional Facebook post about it just to fulfill my duty as a social media user with something to shamelessly brag about.
Little did I know this blog would turn into something that reaches people all over the world. I have no idea how it happened.
The friendships I’ve made with bloggers has been incredible. There are some of you who I’ve actually had lengthy conversations with outside of the WordPress walls. That is something I never expected when I was putting this site together at 2AM, three years ago.
The talent and creativity I’ve come across over the last three years is inspiring. There are celebrities in this world who have no talent and have never changed a roll of toilet paper in their life, yet everyone knows who they are. Meanwhile, there are bloggers I’ve come across who deserve to be known worldwide for the words they share.
I started this blog to write about sports. Then I started writing about life and hypothetical questions. Then I started to complain about things like long lines at the calamari station.
And then I threw caution out the window and wrote things that I thought were funny and, much to my surprise, other people found them funny too. You’re all sick.
But to know that I put a smile on someone’s face, or that I made them laugh when they needed to the most, makes me proud.
Lately, I’ve been writing some poetry and fictional pieces. And you guys stuck with me. You encouraged me. You gave me confidence that I could write about absolutely anything and still have your support. I can’t thank you enough for that.
People often say that they blog for themselves and I guess I would say the same thing. But I’m not blogging just for me. I blog for the people that might read the words I write who might be able to relate, smile, or laugh with me.
That’s what makes a blog different from a diary. You can’t impact anyone’s life with a diary. No one will read it. A blog is all about the interaction. It’s about strangers reading things you write and seeing things from a different perspective.
I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have this blog and to have made so many connections with people all over the world.
I had just graduated from university when I started this blog and said goodbye to many friendships. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just impossible to stay in touch with everyone you used to see on a daily basis.
This blog has helped fill that void. I have gone from being terrified of receiving comments from strangers and wondering if they’re a criminal, to being genuinely excited when I get a notification from another blogger, while still wondering if they’re a criminal.
If I’ve learned anything from blogging, it’s that there are people all over the world looking for a reason to laugh, smile, think, or even just say “me too”. All of us have the ability to be someone’s reason.
That’s why I continue to blog and I hope if you’re reading this, you continue to blog too, or start a blog of your own.
Your thoughts matter. Your words matter. People need to read them. If you share, someone will always care.
Now then, who wants pizza!?
Happy Blogiversary. Keep on blogging my friend.
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Thanks Tony!
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Me!!!!!! Loved this ❤
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Thank you, Carisa! 🙂
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I relate to this so much! Do you know that you were one of the first people to follow my blog? It meant so much to me that someone out there cared about hearing what I had to say. Thanks for posting this and thanks for inspiring me to keep writing since the beginning!! 🙂
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Thank you! I’m glad to be one of the first! Did you change the url of your blog? I just tried clicking on it and it said it did not exist..
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I’m working on fixing that. Not sure why it’s doing that but my URL is onmyjourneybab.wordpress.com 🙂
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Cool! I think if you click on your profile (the button next to the notification button in the top right) and then scroll down to “profile links” you can add it there.
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Thanks! I just did that and entered the correct address. Hopefully that works! Even after a year of being up here, I still have trouble figuring out how everything works.
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It worked! Oh trust me, it took me close to two years to figure out 75% of this site lol
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Great!! So glad it did! Thanks again for your help! 🙂
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Your welcome! I’m binge reading your blog right now.
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That’s awesome!! Thanks for reading it. I hope you enjoy!
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Yay!!! You’re awesome. I’m so glad to have come across you in my blogging journey. You make a lot of sense. This isn’t just for ourselves, it’s for all of us. Didn’t want to believe it when I started but it’s definitely true now.
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I’m glad we’ve become friends too! I definitely had no intention or desire of interacting with strangers on the internet. How things have changed…
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The best things come unexpectedly
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Pretty sure I tweeted those exact words 2 years ago lol
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Lol! Good ole twitter. The posts of real thoughts, not those filtered ones that make it to fb lol
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This is the most accurate distinction there is. The Facebook translation would be: “I won a raffle!” (insert picture of prize)
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lol exactly!! Twitter version: “I won a raffle and this is what they gave me?! (picture of prize)”
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Haha honesty always prevails.
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hey i’ll look u up now. haven’t been on in a while. it’ll be refreshing to check it out again.
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Happy anniversary! I’ve had a 5th on another blog, and it seems like yesterday.
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Thanks! It definitely goes by quickly.
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It sure does.
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I look forward to reading you posts Paul. I often wait to read them, until I have time to enjoy your blogs.
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I appreciate the support!
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“If there’s anything I’ve learnt from blogging…. ” yeah I learnt that too. ME TOO ☺😊😀😁
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Haha nicely done.
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Oh this made me smile! Glad you stuck with it and I really do look forward to your posts. Take care! 😉
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Thanks for your support, Michelle!
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You’re welcome!
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Happy anniversary Paul. Yay for you, three years is awesome, I’ve been going for one and love it so much. I agree with everything you wrote here, it opens up a whole new world of interaction. Keep enjoying … and yes, I’ll have some pizza please! 🙂
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It’s gone by quickly, but each day it gets more and more enjoyable! I’ll send some pizza over your way…it may take a few days.
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Sounds good to me. Mediterranean thanks!
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I tend to pull a U-turn at an intersection with a sign that reads, “No U-turns.” Your suspicions of criminal activity have been correct.
Happy anniversary Paul! So glad to have stumbled across your blog.
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With behaviour like that it’s only a matter of time until you’re featured on an episode of Cops. They’ll call it Don’t Mess With Jess.
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Hahahaha I’ll be the one running into the bushes barefoot and then yell, “It wasn’t me, man. It wasn’t me! I was just…exercising.”
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Please do that! And when they don’t believe that excuse just say you were looking for coupons. Could turn this into a TLC show – Say Yes To The Jess
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Hahah I would kill to have my own TLC show. I miss having cable. It’s been six months since I’ve had a TLC fix and I’m dying.
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That’s terrible! I’ll give you a Twitter play by play the next time extreme couponing is on.
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YESSS. If you’ve been keeping up with My 600 lb. Life, please inform me on what I’m missing. I’m going to take a wild guess and say everyone on the show is still from Texas.
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They might as well put Texas in the title. The same Doctor treats every patient in every show. I’m amazed they all haven’t become gym buddies. They all live nearby.
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Have you noticed the doctor’s hair color changes every episode? One episode it’s graying, the next it’s jet black, and then the next it’s has some red tint.
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I haven’t noticed the red tint! Maybe it was a Halloween episode. Or maybe I’m always focussed on thinking that he should probably retire soon.
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I’m convinced he thinks he’s 40. He thinks he’s fooling us behind the dyed hair!
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He can’t pull the fat over our eyes!…or something like that.
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Happy 3 years, Paul!! Your blog has always been one of my favorites. I’m so glad you keep it up! Also I WANT PIZZA.
Humor & Lifestyle // http://www.rebekahkoontzsite.com
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Thanks Rebekah! I’m glad there’s someone else out there with the same sense of humour as me. As for the pizza…it’s on its way!
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Haha and we have some unique humor! 😉 Yaye pizza!
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Happy Blogiversary Paulooooooo. You do you. And YES TO THE PIZZA which I’m currently eating all by myself btw.
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Thanks Sooch! I’m about to eat some pizza too. Cheers!
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I have been with you since the last blog anniversary (maybe even a bit before) and your posts never cease to make me happy! Regardless of the changes in your blogging themes over the past year, past months, I always look forward to your posts whenever they pop up on my feed. I look forward to more posts from you, and I anticipate your fourth blog anniversary next year (and many more thereafter!).
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This was so nice of you to say! I appreciate your constant support and look forward to many more years blogiversary celebrations.
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Happy blogiversary! And thanks for posting this. You said a lot of the same things I’ve thought about blogging over the years.
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Thank you! Glad you could relate.
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Dammit I missed your blogiversary! Is there any pizza left?
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There is, but this is a great excuse for me to order more!
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Hope this doesn’t come off as nitpicking,but Anne Frank made an impact through her diary . Anyway ,always enjoyed your blog , looking forward to more reads
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Wow I can’t believe I (once again) arrived late for the party!! My favorite event of the year! Graduation made me jump off the boat for a while :0 I am so proud of you 🙂 This sounds a lot like that post I wrote a while ago- we blog to make an impact! Love love love. Happy blogiversary 🙂 I gave you a shoutout in my latest post!
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By the way, I would like some pizza. I missed your blogiversary so I feel bad for making you order more tho! Just come to Boston and we will have some and celebrate both our blogiversarys!
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That sounds amazing! Order the pizza now, I’ll be there soon!
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Thank you Shaz! I’m a big believer in the better late than never phrase, so don’t worry that you missed it!
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Congrats on three years.
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Thanks Tosha!
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You’re welcome😃
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Hi Paul. I really like your posts because it somehow inspires others and also myself. I’m a student who still finding my own passion and sometimes
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..sometimes i feel stuck of doing things that I’m not sure if I really love doing it or just pretend that I would like to do it. You know what I mean? I like to write but I’m not sure if that is my passion. Maybe I love doing it, but sometimes I procrastinate a lot too. I love one-to-one interaction with people. But sometimes I just don’t know what to talk about. Do you have any advice on how to find own passion and how to be consistent with what you are doing?
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Hey! I know exactly what you mean. It’s hard finding something to be passionate about and stay consistent with it all the time. Like I enjoy writing but there are some days, or even weeks where I don’t feel like writing anything. So I fill that time doing something else I enjoy and eventually I feel like writing again. My advice to you would be…don’t feel pressured to find one passion. Do things you enjoy whether it’s writing, reading, drawing, cooking etc. and when you don’t feel like doing one anymore, don’t. Only do things when you want to do them, not because you think you should be doing them. I don’t know if any of this made sense, but I hope I helped a bit!
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Yes exactly! Thanks for ur advice! 😀
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Congratulations! I was/am so happy to have found your blog and enjoy our conversations. Especially since I’ve decided you are definitely not a stalker. I love the WordPress forum/platform for writing. But the amount of time I spend checking my stats belies my original notion that I would be writing just for myself. Keep writing and I’ll keep reading 💟
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Yay! I was beginning to get worried. It’s not the same without you commenting. I’m glad I’ve been classified as “not a stalker”. Something to put on a resume!
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Now there’s a thought. “Haven’t been accused of stalking.” But make sure to list that after “Excellent and popular writer.”
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Happy belated blogiversary, which also happened to be my birthday! 🙂 You make me smile and laugh. Thank you!
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Awesome! You and my blog can have joint birthday parties in the future.
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Yayyyyy!!
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