Even though it's obvious and predicable, I've decided that I should end this year with a look back at 2008 as it pertains to FITS. I've spent the better part of the last two hours skimming over everything I posted, searching for the highs and lows... I've found that there were plenty of lows, no shortage of crappy posts on this blog. I must admit that I cringed quite a few times and had to fight off the urge to go back and edit some things... but to my surprise, there were some really good posts as well. More than I had remembered actually. I realize I've been in a bit of a funk lately (by my estimation I've been putting out about one good post per month over the last quarter), but seeing some of my old stuff was proof that I am still moderately talented and can occasionally write something funny or inspired. Who knew?
Now... after giving myself that much needed pat on the back, I'm now going to have to be brutally honest and reveal a shameful fact: my best post of 2008 (the high point of the year) was actually the first post I wrote in January... It was called "An Un-Filtered Stream of... Something" and you can read it here.
As good as the post was, do you know how fucking depressing it is to know the best thing I wrote in '08 was also the first thing I wrote? Everything that followed was worse than that. [re-read that last sentence a couple of times to get the full depressing effect]
And to make things even more embarrassing, it wasn't even a post that I thought out! I didn't craft it in my journal first then transfer the best parts to the blog. There was no outline. I didn't re-write certain paragraphs over and over until it "felt good". I didn't agonize for an hour over the proper ending... I just sat down wrote whatever came to my mind.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed re-reading it and I'm proud to say I wrote it but as I clicked through page after page of 2008 blog entries I kept hoping I would come across something better, and it never happened. The closest I could come was this post in June, but I couldn't honestly say it was any better. So in a way, you could argue that my high point of the year (as far as the blog is concerned) was in a way, also the low point.
Then again, a good case can be made for September being the low point as well. "Mike So Def" actually wrote the best and most thought provoking post of the month and I submitted nothing but filler. Really, had it not been for Mike that would have been the worst month in the history of this blog since "the dark period".
I should also note my disappointment that in May I came up with a pretty good idea to post the details of famous mysteries and then have everyone create their own theories as to what really happened. It started out really well with the mystery of the missing judge, but for some reason I never trotted out another mystery. Maybe the idea will resurface in '09.
I am sure of one thing though, I plan on starting the year off with a forgettable post. I will not my high point be my low point for two straight years!
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Farting in the Shower is a ramblingand ecclectic mix of short stories, embarrasing confessions, pictures, and fast food reviews.
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5 comments:
Haha...your writings are always top notch on my list. Even when I dont comment. I get atleast one good smile on every post of yours - usually more.
In fact...dont tell my other blog friends...your blog is the ONLY non-politics/economics/technology blog I have in my "Must Read" blog roll. Seriously, you are a great writer...maybe a fiction book at some point should be in your future.
And I am not saying this to butter you up to come to San Diego. I really do mean it. :-)
what the hell are you talking about?!!?! i look forward to your blog on a daily basis!! i personally think you were digging for some compliments when you wrote this post!! so here it is...YOU ARE AN AMAZING WRITER!! you have made me laugh so many times!!
So... I just re-read this post and I have to admit, it came off in a little harsher of a tone than I meant it to. And while fishing or digging for a compliment is definitely something I am occasionally guilty of, that wasn't my intention. Seriously. Not that I mind the compliments.
I just wanted to give an honest assessment of my 2008 work product, which was sometimes good, sometimes bad... look, I’m only 14 or so months removed from "the dark period" when I couldn’t write ANYTHING, so just keeping up with this thing was an accomplishment of sorts in and of itself... I just felt like I started of 2008 putting out better stuff than I did in the end of the year. I’d like to do better in '09. As a "writer" (and I’m using that term very loosely) I know who I am and where I stand. I’m not without qualities or talents; I just need to work a little harder to get out a good product than some other wirters. Some blogs I read really impress me with the constant and seemingly effortless stream of quality... I’d like to get a little closer to being one of those blogs one day. I think I can get there. I just have to work harder and do better. That’s all.
So thanks for the compliments you guys, I really mean that, and stick around for 09 because I have a couple of ideas and plans to help the blog continue to improve.
You could always resort to quoting others who say it as good as you wanted to. Works for me. :-D
I've actually thought about the amount of work you put into your quote format before and I came to the conclusion that its probably way more effort than you credit for. not only does it have to represent your POV but it has to be topical and provocative enough to try and start a discussion... finding something that meets those requirements almost everyday sounds suspiciously like work.
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