This morning, I found the above amidst my comments ‘n likes.  My jaw dropped.  Eight years?  I’ve been writing this blog for eight years, since 2010?  Who knew?  Of course, in the beginning it was only used as another venue for my book reviews, as I was hoping at the time to work my way into being a paid reviewer.  What could be better than getting paid for doing what you love to do anyway, right?  But, things happened, times changed, and I somehow … I’m still scratching my head here … gave up doing book reviews, stopped working on my Ph.D., and became a political blogger!  In truth, as I went back through my archives, I wrote only one post in 2010, and did not write another until 2012, when I wrote four, three of which were book reviews, including one of my favourites, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

The anniversary notice and the subsequent realization that it had been eight years already gave me some food for pondering about this blog, my blogging family, and what it all means to me.

Today, I have over 2,100 followers, but I well remember the day somewhere around 2013-2014 when I did a fist-pump because I had progressed to 30 followers!!!  I thought I was in the big leagues with my 30 followers.  Until I ran into Jason of HarsH ReaLiTy, aka aopinionatedman.  Jason had 56,000 followers and counting.  He and I have since parted ways, for he didn’t much care for my political views, but he helped me a lot in those early days, explaining the ins-and-outs of blogging, giving me pointers, and re-blogging some of my work, for which I remain eternally grateful.  I still don’t know how he does it, for he answers every comment, writes several posts each day, works a full-time job as a computer guru, and has a wife and two small children!  I struggle to write two posts a day and answer most comments, usually at 3:00 a.m.!  I hope I never get to 56,000, or I shall have to hire a staff.

The name?  This blog started as jilldennison blog.  Creative, huh?  My friend Herb — both of us speak fluent Spanish — suggested I rename it Filosofa’s Word, ‘Filosofa’ being Spanish for ‘philosopher’, and ‘word’ being English for … well, ‘word’! I liked it and so, that is what I named it!

In April 2015, my blog took a turn that was to change its face entirely and it turned into a socio-political blog with the shooting of Freddie Gray in Baltimore.  I remember that I couldn’t stop the tears, and I wrote about it as a catharsis, I needed to speak about it.  Since then I have written only three book reviews.  There goes my dream of becoming a paid reviewer, huh?  And then, of course, in June 2015 came the tsunami that would turn this into a political blog – Donald J. Trump announced his intention to run for president.  And nothing would ever be the same.  Other events in June 2015 also played a role:  The Supreme Court upheld subsidies for ACA (Obamacare) and most important of all, they ruled on Obergefell v Hodges, making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.  Also in June 2015, a young man named Dylan Roof walked into an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, and started shooting, killing nine people, and we came to realize that the face of our nation was changing.

And so, this blog changed its direction and is what I consider socio-political commentary, though obviously under the regime of Trump, it is more political than socio!  A few times, I fleetingly thought of giving it up, but in the back of my mind, I knew better.  It was just a debate me, myself and I needed to have to get my head back on straight, for sometimes the topics I write about take a very dark turn and send me down the rabbit hole.  So, what does this blog mean to me?

This blog takes up at least half, usually more, of my waking hours, and I would spend even more time on it if there weren’t such petty things as laundry, cooking and household chores to be done!  What I do … well, I’m pretty sure I’m not convincing any republicans that Donald Trump is a bloomin’ fool, and as my friend Hugh sometimes reminds me, I am mostly spitting in the wind, or preaching to the choir.  But, it gives me an outlet to share my thoughts, occasionally vent my angst.  But the best thing to come from writing this blog?  YOU!!!  Yes you … if you are reading this post, then you are a friend, a member of my blogging family, and you are a very real part of my life.  When I started this blog eight years ago, I never dreamed that I would meet such a wonderful and diverse bunch of people and that you guys would become friends.  Yes, friends, just as much as any that I see on a semi-regular basis.  Sometimes I tell you guys things that I don’t even tell my own family!  (No, they rarely read my blog, and then only if I threaten to withhold supper!)  

The future?  Who knows? Obviously, the best laid plans, etc., etc.  I suspect the U.S. political scene will continue to keep me busy for a few years yet, but time will tell.  A relatively new reader, Ellen, has suggested that I add an archive section to my blog, which I think is an excellent idea, and I plan to do so within the next couple of weeks.  Another reader, rawgod, has asked me twice now to feature myself in a ‘good people’ post, for he thinks I am a good people.  I don’t necessarily agree with him, but I love him for thinking so, and he is rather insistent, so who knows?

I love you guys and want to tell you all how very much it means when I see that you liked a post or left a comment.  And … well … 🥂 … here’s to another eight years together!  Thanks to you all for sticking with me and for being such great friends!

A few links to the aforementioned posts:

• Review of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
• Thoughts on Baltimore (Freddie Gray)
• Nine Years Later (1st post, August 2010)
• Red Letter Week for the United States (Supreme Court decisions in June 2015)
• Racism at its Finest … Charleston, South Carolina 2015 (Dylan Roof church shooting)