I've been going around wishing a lot of people Merry Christmas because it's traditional for this time of year. Family, friends, and strangers. I also want to add that festive salutation to my readers.
I don't know most of you, yet you keep coming back in greater numbers every year. When I averaged 15,000 readers daily in November it was the pinnacle of As It Stands, my 20-year-old blog.
I'm always quick to point out that I haven't monetized this blog during that time, nor do I intend to in the future. It's always been about a hobby. I love to write. Being retired from the newspaper business, I still need an outlet to express myself.
The opportunity to share my thoughts for free has a certain purity to it.
It allows me to express opinions without upsetting advertisers who play an enormous role in the newspaper industries content.
Next year I'm going to look for a different platform for my blog. This one is a pain-in-the-ass.
Blogger is old and has numerous problems. I miss the feedback I got for over a decade before something changed on the platform that made subscribing and comments nearly impossible. I wrestled with the Blogger staff for years to no avail.
That's what amazes me. Most of my traffic comes from non-subscribers routinely coming back for more.
As it stands, I wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!