Mirrors lie right?
I know this because The Boss, Bruce Springsteen told us in Tunnel of Love. Remember what he said?
“There’s a crazy mirror showing us both in 5-D
I’m laughing at you you’re laughing at me”
Blog turns ten this month and I turn 45 tomorrow. Happy birthday to us all.
Ten years of blogging and I don’t know a fucking thing about it and yet I know everything.
I know that a kid I play ball with told me that only old people listen to Springsteen and that any stories I have about how he used to be the biggest artist around should be enjoyed by fat women who used to be skinny and forget that they drive minivans.
Kid laughs at me as he drives to the basket. I silently scream at my feet to move faster, “why can’t you move faster. You used to move faster.”
I goad the kid into trying to post me up. He bangs into me twice doesn’t move me and tries to pump fake me into the air. I strip the ball from his hands and dare him to try to take the ball out of my hands.
My feet don’t move like they used to but these gorilla hands and arms are as strong as ever.
Morning comes too soon and I roll out of bed and yell at my back to work with me, I am too young to look like a question mark.
Are You Burnt Out On Blogging?
Traffic isn’t what it once was and comments are few and far between. The blogosphere is filled with suggestions about how to fix things. They tell me if I do this and that I can build something bigger and better.
I look at the blog and think about all the time it will take to make those changes. Got tons of old posts that have no pictures in them because Pinterest didn’t exist and I wasn’t sharp enough to realize that images would make the posts “pop.”
Got ten thousand some odd posts and 9,827 broken links. Some are from bloggers whose comments once linked to blogs they have abandoned and some are from YouTube posts that were embedded because the video really added something  to the post.
Sometimes I go back and realize I don’t remember what the video was about, can’t say if it was a song or something else. Must have been really memorable if I can’t remember what it was.
Periodically hear from people who used to hang out at the blog. Sometimes they tell me if they weren’t so busy they would come visit again and sometimes they say they know all of my stories, not even the Shmata Queen knows them all and she knows many.
But what gets me the most is the gut feeling that my writing is so much better than it used to be and now they are missing it.
Reminds me of the court.
Twenty-five years ago I could really move up and down the court.
A younger man’s body capable of doing so much and it did, but damn if it wouldn’t be more fun to have it now. Damn if I don’t look back now and think about how I didn’t appreciate it the way I should have.
The Mirror Lies
The mirror lies but I am not sure which mirror I am thinking of now. Is it the one in my mind or the one in my bathroom.
Won’t lie and say there aren’t moments where I miss being that younger guy but I wouldn’t want to go back unless I knew then what I know now.
Yeah it is the age old refrain of those who have lived a little but you can’t screw an old head on young shoulders. Some things aren’t understood or truly appreciated without some life experience.
Some things were better than and some things are better now but the keystone in this arch is being aware of where we are today because now is all we have.
Bruised egos may not always appreciate some of that but sometimes if they wipe their eyes and take a deep breath they see the benefits and advantages of the present.
Are You Burnt Out On Blogging?
Might be some truth in that. Might be elements that I just don’t feel like dealing with any more or maybe I just have a better idea about where it is I want to focus my time. Might just be that life experiences has helped make it clear what I want as well what I need.
What do you think?
TheJackB Lardavbern I’ve interviewed him plenty of times – in my imagination.
QUESTION: Here I am in NJ and a mega Springsteen fan. His big bday is coming up in Sept. I want to query mags. with article ideas but I am drawing a blank. Thoughts? Hit me up on Facebook.
Happy Mothers Day to the Shmata Queen.
Julie Barrett  I love that 5-d expression. Hope you have a great weekend.
wonderoftech  Yeah, It is a phase. We have too many platforms out there and so much noise it is hard to break through.
But I do believe things will settle and we’ll see some sort of adjustment. Thank you for the birthday greetings.
Lardavbern  It is funny how that creeps up on us, age that is. Springsteen intrigues me as a writer and not just musician. Would love to sit and talk with him. Hope you are doing well.
Faryna  Many thanks for the kind words here and on your blog. I very much appreciate them and glad that we are still in touch.
Definitely agree that we age like fine wines.
KDillabough  It is hard not to miss those days because they were a hell of a lot of fun. Blogging goes through phases and evolutions and we are in one now, but no idea where it is going to lead. 🙂
Thank you for the birthday wishes.
Happy birthday and have some cake and a drink for me. I will cop to fat used to be thin but never, ever a minivan, they’re appalling.
There are two meanings (at least) to 5D and I have one foot here and one there – so laugh away as I laugh at you.
Oh Wise One, as you have been on this blogging journey for longer than most of us, do you think that this is a phase? Will re return to the days when blogging was more social? I sense a malaise among bloggers, perhaps initiated or fostered by Google’s wrath at us.Â
Tomorrow is another day. And another birthday for you. Enjoy your day!
Couple years younger than you, huge Springsteen fan, and love to play basketball – I know too well of what you speak.
P.S. Only 3 years of blogging but having some of the same thoughts.
I’m going to wish you a happy birthday, early. You never know when I might keep over beside a butterfly garden in my yard. Weeding is hard work. But not as hard as weeding the silly, stupid and wrong ideas that crowd my brain.
The important thing to remember is that we can improve like a fine and fancy wine. Or spirit. I have very fond memories of a 40 year old plum moonshine. And it looks like you’re doing that from over here.
As you know, I miss the “early days” which for me, is only three years ago…a time when we commented like crazy all over the place, where the ‘raderie (cue Jayme Soulati), blogjacking and banter ruled the day. We all had so much fun. Now, I find that, although many of us have kept in touch meaningfully, it’s just not as frequent. I can give all kinds of excuses, but I won’t. I believe that friends – online and off – “get it” when we’re MIA or absent for periods of time.
I stick to the wise words you gave to me, and which sit prominently on my desk: “Just write baby, just write.” And that’s what I intend to do, even when sporadically. Cheers! Kaarina P.S. I think I wished you and “early” happy birthday my fellow Taurus. It’s tomorrow, right? I think I thought it was today.