Milestones

 

My online calendar alerted me that it is the anniversary of STEEST (my old blog).  Old blog and old story there only for the very curious people who can check my last post.

When I couldn't resurrect STEEST, I created SFGEMS.  This is the beauty of learning to let go and then moving on to other things.  In a way, SFGEMS began as a continuation of STEEST but as providence would have it, SFGEMS was a new milestone for my life in Singapore.  

STEEST was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 18 September 2008. 

SFGEMS was born in Toa Payoh, Singapore on 18 July 2012.

Co-incidentally, my granddaughter was born on 18 March 2019.

It was only this morning that I realised the number 18 appearing for each milestone. I began blogging on 18 September.  I started SFGEMS on 18 July and my granddaughter arrived on 18 March.  

For those who believe in numerology, it probably means something.  To me, it's just a random observation that I made.

Just like the image above says 

"Writing is seeing.  It is paying attention".

400

Just like Spartan, the movie, with only "300" as the title, I thought just putting 400 is catchy and dramatic.

It's my 400th post and after all this while, I still find joy in writing because it's how I organise my thoughts and also my memories.  Without this blog, I'd have forgotten all the little stuff that can get lost in the bigger events of life.

Once in a while, I go and check STEEST for something and then I get lost, going through some old stuff I'd written and the same goes for SFGEMS.  Sometimes I don't even remember ever writing what I've posted.  That, for me, is always a nice surprise.  

First, because I think my mind conveniently decided to remove all traces of that blog content knowing that it's been saved.  Clever, if I’m right!  But it could either be that I am automatically deleting some of those memories or it is just part and parcel of forgetting due to old age.  It is a good thing then that I had put down those moments into words.

Second, because I can retrace my state of being, at that given point in time, via what I have written.  

And today with my 400th posting, I'm celebrating because I've stuck to keeping this blog alive, even when I've been lazy or busy.  

Whether or not I have an audience of one or a thousand, it is still a great thing to me. 

In the beginning...

In the beginning, there was STEEST.

Today is the anniversary of when STEEST was born on 18 September 2008.  I started the blog on impulse and then found it to be a great platform in which I could share my memories and also release some of the pent-up emotions I kept inside.

It was always a dream to write and even when I had no audience, I enjoyed it.  My teen years were spent huddled over my desk and writing poems.  I still have some of them.  Compositions in schools were my favourite and I thank my teachers for the guidelines although I do break some of the rules now and again. 

Due to a technical glitch (meaning my itchy fingers), I lost all the images on STEEST.  It was just a stroke of blessing that I decided to create a new blogpost here on SFGEMS.

I call it a blessing because it's a timeline, a more detailed one, of what's going on in my life since I retired.  Years from now I will be able to go through the posts and see if I can remember what made me happy, sad, laugh, frown etc.  

I call it a blessing because I've made many new friends while blogging and found kindred spirits.

I call it a blessing because my blog keeps me active and grounded. It pushes me to think about everything.

Yennyways, (curi-ed this word from my friend, Pat) I will celebrate today because, well, just because....

Cheers! 

Three years already!

Image from Pinterest

Yep! It's three years since SFGEMS was created.  There was a time when I lost sleep wondering if I had checked and re-checked before posting something.  Nowadays I no longer do that.  Maybe I believe that perfection is a myth and maybe I also realise that imperfection isn't a flaw.

When I used to write on STEEST, I was afraid that no one would read my blog.  Then I was afraid that someone would read my blog. Mentally tortured myself for no reason!!! There are millions of blogs in the world wide web.  Then I realised that I was writing for the future me.  It's a timeline of my own life way before Facebook.

In early 2012, I inadvertently deleted all the images in STEEST and I was wondering what to do until I realised that there was nothing I could do.  Hence the only solution was to start over and it was as easy as going to the shops to get a packet of chips!!!

What's my point on this 3 year anniversary?  Well, it's this ------->

No use crying over spilt milk, just clean the mess and move on.

I'm glad I started this blog.  It's been a good avenue to release some of my anxiety and thoughts.  It's also a great way to focus on the good in my life.  

Whenever I've wanted to write, I just write.  Sometimes I keep it in the drafts until I've had a second look.  At other times, I just publish without any more thoughts about it.  

Anyway, it's been a good record of what's happened in my life. Each entry reminds me of something important.  The memory will go and then only these words will remain.  

One day in the distant future, when I can no longer remember much, I will be able to return and read about my own life. 

  

STEEST is 6 years old!

Previously I blogged on STEEST.blogspot.com.  I kept that page mainly for the stories I shared there. This is just one of them.

There are many more stories to be told. Some will be shared for no real reason except that they were meant to be heard. Some will heal me even as I write, some will heal others as they read.  

The stats are nice but even if nobody is reading, I write for me.  That must be the best reason of all.

Who's counting?

When I first began blogging on 18 September 2008 in STEEST, I found that there were a multitude of sites to check on visits and views.  I didn't know which would suit me and as I discovered them, I kept adding. Some had interesting information that gave me details of the visitors.  Some just gave me a view of what people were looking for when they stumbled upon my blog.

When I started SFGEMS, I was no longer interested.  I just wanted to write.  What I did not know is that Blogspot keeps a record of the actual pageviews!

It's a nice surprise to see that STEEST has surpassed 100,000 pageviews.

My new blog, which began on 18 July 2012, being only 3 months old, has already garnered over 6000 pageviews.

Who's counting?  Not me.  Not anymore.  

More importantly, who's reading?  I only know a handful of them!

Looking back on everything, I just want to take this moment to say

to the people who encouraged me to write

Pic from the web