some thanks are in order here

from @andrewchen

A business mentor of mine, Tac Anderson, once said: Social Media is not a distraction, it's the source of my power.

I know that God is the real source of my power...but I have to agree that Social Media has turned out to be much more to me than a distraction. It is  awesome in its potential to distract--I have played my fair share of Scrabble and Family Feud and Bubble Spinner via Facebook. I have spent probably more time than I should watching silly You Tubes links of talking animals and Muppet Show musical numbers that people put up. I can't even tell you the hours I've poured over blogs and looking at pictures and trying to "figure people out" (I do this in the name of 'character research' for my writing, of course, but also because I generally like and/or am curious about you). I set a timer for myself when on the computer without a specific purpose so I won't lose hours. I'm sure you all know how quickly the minutes can tick unknowingly by why engaged in computer-land.


But Social Media is a source of power for me, too. Besides being a "skill set" that got me hired for my job, it also offers up the power of therapy and healing and generating clarity and gratitude through writing and a form of human interaction. It has shifted my outlook on life, on myself, and just what one soul is capable of doing. In blogging, I force myself to look more deeply into what I'm thinking and feeling--put words to it, and in the process, make a little more sense of it.

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Almost four years ago, I started The Petersons Go Public! as a family journal, never having a clue just what our family or myself would soon undergo. In that time, I have written 623 posts and received thousands of comments and emails. At its peak (when I was treating it like a job, teaching it as a guest lecturer at Boise State, and before Facebook took over as most people's social outlet of choice), I would get between 1200 and 1500 hits a day. Now, on it's "I'm doing the best I can at maintaining this because I love it but just don't have the time I used to" level, The Peterson's Go Public! still keeps a steady 300-500 hits, seven days a week. That is an AMAZING amount of exposure for an up and coming writer like me. Unheard of before the 21st century!  I have managed to make some amazing only-known-from-the-blog-but-would-love-you-in-real-life friends ( and I HAVE had the priviledge of meeting a few of you in person!). I look back at comments from two years ago and realize just how many of you have stuck with me.

Can I just say how much that means to me? As one who loses people in my life a lot--to death, sickness, bad choices, distance, distraction---that I still have this corps of loyal readers does my heart a lot of good. It desperately reaffirms something I need reaffirmed.

Because of that, I had to take a moment to offer a few thank you's: to Kim from Today's Creative Blog who gave me my first big feature. To Jennifer Paganelli, rockstar of the design world and kind commenter. To the Sits Girls and Angie Lee and Nester and Chatty Emily--women doing genius things in the blogosphere and whom I'm proud to say "I knew when they were just starting." I've met this Emmy-nominated Artist. Got previously unreleased tracks from this member of my favorite band. Been humbled to have serious, published authors follow me. All these people I would probably never have been able to meet living in Idaho, but who I "know" now.

 I also want to thank T and Erma who are often first to comment; my sis-in-law Shanta (the only member of my family that reads and speaks up :) ); my real life friends M and Tina and Jana and Summer and Amanda. Priscilla and Brienne (who send Christmas cards and texts); Jori-O, Wedogmama, Trish and others who have found me on Facebook. And of course, Elena--my sweet friend who first got me started blogging. And also those of you in the cities of Auburn, Los Angeles, Redondo and Long Beach, Houston, Des Moines, Columbia,Wichita, and Elkridge. I'm not sure if I know you or not, but you visit frequently, and I appreciate it. Also the countries of Australia, Canada, France, and Norway--glad I translate well :^).

I thank you all for the cheers and support and confidence in my abilities, your shared empathy in my struggles--vocalized via comments or not. I feel it. I really, really do.


Oh, did I forget to mention the spam robots? Thanks Russian spam robots named "Anonymous". I don't know what you're saying and it's probably vulgar, but I get daily emails from the comments you generate and they make me laugh :)

I don't know what the future of The Peterson's Go Public! will be. I've been toying with the idea of closing it down in September, its 4th Anniversary. Or maybe I just let it run its course until blogging has become as obsolete as the rotary dial? Who knows. I like the fact that I've been consistent with it for this long but also worry I've said it all, and sometimes said too much. No matter what I decide, I just know that I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity it has provided--again, not only for me to "meet" you all and learn from your wisdom, but to make a difference in a handful of people's lives and thought processes. Source of power....indeed.

If I didn't mention you--I'm sorry! I love you, too! Either that or speak up so I know who you are. I only bite a little :)