Since I have an hour of peace before I have to start getting ready for work I thought I would start on my one year anniversary blog entry. So the first thing I thought I would do is look back and see how I have done.
I have written 45 blogs all but 2 have been published. I don't know if I will ever finish them or move on past them. Of the 45 I have written I have 2 different blogs. Day One the first I started with my rules and my poem,For the Love of Lilly. I have used that for world news and views of the world and the people who share this planet with me. The second is Sunshine and Shadows. This blog is a reflection of myself. I write about my relationships with friends, family and my values, memories and travels.
When I sat down today I wanted to check out some statistics on blogging. I found one site that says 60% of bloggers are guys. Only 40% girls. Guess that is not bad. Even though adult women between 21 and 35 read over 50% of the blogs. Most that write blogs do not make money from them even the ones with advertising. I do not have advertising. No subtle mention of some product I do not believe in. Anything I talk about is all me.
One of the pages I read said write about a subject you know about and like and that you should write a draft then sleep on it and make changes the following day. For the most part when I am writing I sit down to start I will stay in the chair until I am finished. I am usually home alone. It is easier for me to think without interruptions. I have my satellite radio playing a station with no commercials that plays Pop, Rock and Folk music. A pleasant mix I can sing along with.
Usually the reason I sit down to write is that something is in my head and I can not let it go. I find it easiest to write it out and share it than to keep it inside. I do have a few subjects that are inside that bubble to the top but I don't know if I am ever going to share. And some of you may think what the heck could it be. You'll just have to wait and see. I have tried to stick with my rules I began with. I try not to talk about others at least not directly. I have written blogs for, or should I say to friends. Even when it is not my situation the opinion I am writing about is all mine. Brian is the first to hear my blog. I read it out loud to him. I listen to his opinion but I am going to write what I am going to write. I just don't want to hurt anyone.
I have had over 1750 hits to my blogs. I am still amazed by all the places that people have read my blog from: US, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Philippines, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia and Poland my newest.
The countries are listed in order of hits. I am still amazed by the number of people and where they are from. I want to say Thank you to all of you for reading along. I am not sure how many have read all of my blog posts or just one. Either way if you walk away thinking then I have done my job. All I want out of my blogs is a good nights sleep. It may seem crazy but that is usually what I get. My conscious is clear and my mind is no longer cluttered with worry or anxiety.
In the next few weeks I have thought about starting another blog. I have 2 ideas one has to do with places named for people and what they did to get a park or street named for them. The other is to write about books that I have read. Not ones that are popular today but older books. Some of my favorites have been older books. Maybe not considered classics but still well worth the read. If you have an opinion or a favorite book or place you want to know about let me know. It may help me make my decision. I will still continue Sunshine & Shadows. It has earned a place in my heart and I hope yours.
Showing posts with label Values. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Values. Show all posts
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Convictions
Like that title? Makes you wonder. Am I talking about a trial? Well in a way. I spoke to the Mayor of Clearwater this morning. He woke me, because I had left a message at his office last week. I said that I did not like the idea of selling the property City Hall is sitting on to the Marine Aquarium. He sees it as a move forward or that is what someone has told him to see. We have a 50 year old City Hall that is in disrepair and the Aquarium wants to purchase it. My first thought was but I did not say was I live in a house that is almost 60 years old and when something goes wrong I fix it. I can not afford and did not think the City could either afford to tear down a building and replace it because of some leaking faucets or broken floor tiles. At my house I would hire someone to fix it or figure out how to do it myself.
I offered that I felt the Harborview center was a more appropriate piece of property and that it could more easily draw people downtown. From Crest Lake where the sign points to downtown and used to say to the beach. Could now direct people to the Winter exhibit. It is funny that the Mayor then countered with that City Hall is only a block from the Harborview Center and I thought and isn't it ironic that the way the City directs people to the Winter Exhibit is from Fort Harrison instead of using the large signs near Crest Lake or any other signage to direct people down Cleveland Street. That seems strange to me now. Do they not want downtown to succeed or do they not want people to see that it is not successful?
All of this reminds me of when I was young and my parents were active in the political circles. They would pass out pamphlets, go door to door and drive in caravans of people in support of one candidate or another. My mother was very outspoken when it came to tearing down the old Sea Shell Motel and building the Holiday Inn Surfside. The first tall building built on the North End of Clearwater Beach except for Mandalay Shores. If you don't know what buildings I am referring to. Now it is the Surfside Double Tree and 880 Mandaly that has been standing all my life. I know why it was a big deal. Letting one high rise lends room for another and then another and how many condos can the North End of Clearwater Beach hold. Well I am pretty sure that we have reached the limit of what will ever be lived in considering a good portion are not lived in. But somehow developers are like used car sales men. They can sell ice to Eskimos and a Condo to a bank every time. I used to think what difference does a hotel make or a old building being torn down. But I know now that when Calvary Baptist Church moved out to McMullen Booth and they built what oh yes, a condo building that is what, again empty instead of using it for the Library that was also in disrepair and needing to be replaced. Seeing a pattern. This is where my convictions come. I do not know what is wrong with preserving a beautiful old building that is in good shape. Pinellas County has reached it's saturation point and honestly does not need another condo unit.
I know that most people that live here have not lived here all their lives most probably did not go to school here but those of us that did see pride in saying the attended the Original CHS. Sorry to those other CHS graduates that lived in East Lake Woodlands and went to the New School that barley has 20 years of history under its belt. I liked that I went to a school that had teachers that had gone to school and had some of the same teachers I did. Some of these people I still know and have some of the same values that I do to preserve what is good in this community. Keep an old house as the Clearwater Historical Society.
So this conviction I have infuriates me when I think about what will be left for my nieces and nephews when they are grown. Will they believe that only new things are good and old things should just be thrown out or torn down. Or should they learn that keeping old things in good shape is a way in showing the value to what we have in this world and not everything or everyone is disposable.
I offered that I felt the Harborview center was a more appropriate piece of property and that it could more easily draw people downtown. From Crest Lake where the sign points to downtown and used to say to the beach. Could now direct people to the Winter exhibit. It is funny that the Mayor then countered with that City Hall is only a block from the Harborview Center and I thought and isn't it ironic that the way the City directs people to the Winter Exhibit is from Fort Harrison instead of using the large signs near Crest Lake or any other signage to direct people down Cleveland Street. That seems strange to me now. Do they not want downtown to succeed or do they not want people to see that it is not successful?
 |
| Sea Shell Motel |
All of this reminds me of when I was young and my parents were active in the political circles. They would pass out pamphlets, go door to door and drive in caravans of people in support of one candidate or another. My mother was very outspoken when it came to tearing down the old Sea Shell Motel and building the Holiday Inn Surfside. The first tall building built on the North End of Clearwater Beach except for Mandalay Shores. If you don't know what buildings I am referring to. Now it is the Surfside Double Tree and 880 Mandaly that has been standing all my life. I know why it was a big deal. Letting one high rise lends room for another and then another and how many condos can the North End of Clearwater Beach hold. Well I am pretty sure that we have reached the limit of what will ever be lived in considering a good portion are not lived in. But somehow developers are like used car sales men. They can sell ice to Eskimos and a Condo to a bank every time. I used to think what difference does a hotel make or a old building being torn down. But I know now that when Calvary Baptist Church moved out to McMullen Booth and they built what oh yes, a condo building that is what, again empty instead of using it for the Library that was also in disrepair and needing to be replaced. Seeing a pattern. This is where my convictions come. I do not know what is wrong with preserving a beautiful old building that is in good shape. Pinellas County has reached it's saturation point and honestly does not need another condo unit.
I know that most people that live here have not lived here all their lives most probably did not go to school here but those of us that did see pride in saying the attended the Original CHS. Sorry to those other CHS graduates that lived in East Lake Woodlands and went to the New School that barley has 20 years of history under its belt. I liked that I went to a school that had teachers that had gone to school and had some of the same teachers I did. Some of these people I still know and have some of the same values that I do to preserve what is good in this community. Keep an old house as the Clearwater Historical Society.
So this conviction I have infuriates me when I think about what will be left for my nieces and nephews when they are grown. Will they believe that only new things are good and old things should just be thrown out or torn down. Or should they learn that keeping old things in good shape is a way in showing the value to what we have in this world and not everything or everyone is disposable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)