Happy anniversary to Cordelia’s Mom, Still!

One year ago today, I published my very first post on this WordPress blog.

What a time I had leading up to that point!  I had never even heard of WordPress then, and while I had guest posted on my daughter’s blog, I had absolutely no idea how to set up my own.  Cordelia helped me a lot (thank you, again, Sweetie!) since she had negotiated the shark-infested waters ahead of me.

Talk about nervousness!  I believe every new blogger goes through the same thing – 50,000 or so edits before publishing that first post, and then checking the post every 5 minutes after publishing to see how many hits there are (usually something like 2 for the first post, both by the blogger herself – or maybe 3 if the blogger’s mother can be talked into reading). *

*Unless, of course, you’re Paul Curran, who got more views and comments on his debut guest post than I get in an entire month – dang it all.

Unlike most other new bloggers, I already had some readers (at least 2!) who had followed me from Cordelia’s site.  At this point in today’s post, I want to again thank Anne and Karen (you know who you are), without whose support I would have given up a long time ago.  Each time I experienced one of those f*-it-no-one’s-reading-anyway episodes, either Anne or Karen would come through with a positive comment or an email telling me how wonderful I was – and God knows, I needed that encouragement.

So, where am I today?  While my readership is nowhere near what I would like it to be (is it ever?), it has grown 100-fold from that very first post, and the followers I have gained are dedicated followers.  I’d rather have a handful of followers I can count on to actually read and comment on my posts, than a thousand bloggers who “like” or “follow” for the sole purpose of boosting their own numbers.

I have made friends in the blogging community.  There are bloggers with whom I have email conversations and to whom I often turn for advice, and there are bloggers to whom I have occasionally given advice.  There are bloggers for whom I guest post, and those who guest post for me.

The true dedication of my readers was demonstrated during the 2-day Not Cordelia’s Mom vs. Cordelia’s Mom fiasco.  I never expected the response my mirror blog elicited – before I admitted that Not Cordelia’s Mom was, in fact, written by me, many of my readers were blasting the bitch for having the nerve to say bad things about me.  Didn’t that make me feel very special?

(If I can write a character that totally believable, perhaps I should consider writing a novel.  What do you think?)

It’s all incredible fun.  I may never actually make any money with my writing (although y’all know I’ll keep on tryin’!), but I have gained an excitement in my life that was missing before I started blogging.  And thanks to WordPress, the cost is minimal.

(I have maligned WordPress in the past, so I’d like to take this opportunity to say that I really do appreciate what they provide in their basic membership package, and I have found their membership support to be awesome.)

To celebrate my one-year anniversary, I give every one of you permission to raise a glass in my honor.  Just don’t send me a bill for it – didn’t I just say that I’m not making any money with my writing?

But I promise that someday I will make money at it, and I promise that if when the gold starts rolling in, I will arrange a real get-together and invite everyone of my blogging friends, at my expense.   And I always keep my promises.

Meanwhile, let’s have a virtual anniversary party – at 9:00 pm tonight (Eastern Standard Time), I will be having my glass of celebratory wine.  Please join me – why not write a comment and tell me what you’re drinking, eating, or doing to celebrate with me?

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I love to hear from my readers.  You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook page, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com

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Images by:  Pam Culver, and Owen W. Brown, and Lorenzo Lopez Photography, and Stéphanie Kllgast, respectively