Sunday 19 July 2009

Anniversary Posting

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Today, the 19th July is the fifth anniversary of my journal.


It is strange because, in some ways, it feels as if I have always been writing and yet in other ways those five years have gone so fast.

When I first began, I never expected it to last. It was something I thought I would have a go at and maybe squeeze three months out if I was lucky. Of course, I do not post so often these days as I have written so much in the past. Looking back, I should have spaced things out more, not posted every single day. Now, sometimes I struggle to think of something to write about.

What changes there have been in those five years. When I first set up my journal, my eldest Grandson was only three weeks old. He is now five and in September commences his second year at school. My second Grandson was not even born. So I was able to express our joy when he came into the world and you have seen the two boys as they have grown.


Then came my breast cancer and I was able to share that with you through this medium and keep you informed of my progress. I will never forget the outpouring of love and support I received at that time. It helped me get through one of the darkest moments of my life.

You shared with us the loss of our beloved dog, Pip and then the arrival of Jack. Even mundane things such as having a new kitchen installed and re-vamping the bathroom. Ghost stories, family history, poetry - all this and so much more has made an appearance on here.

I helped quite a few people start their own journals. That was in the days when aol used to feature journals and I was lucky enough to be one of them. People would contact me and ask me how to go about things and I would give them what advice I had acquired. It is heartening to me that some of them are still writing.

In world terms there have been floods, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, global warming, the election of a new American president, a world recession and countless other things.


One of the biggest blows was the loss of J-Land when aol decided that our journals were not worthwhile and they did not want us anymore. Even before then, I had seen good journals come and go but a great many more disappeared when aol made that decision. Some left in disgust over the whole issue. Others, originally enthusiastic about coming here to Blogger, found the system just too much to cope with after aol journals which had such an easy format - including having e-mail alerts when friends and contacts had posted. People I had come to know and like very much just disappeared. Some without even a goodbye.

A few have stuck with me since almost the beginning and I have acquired other readers along the way but I remember the days when I used to get thirty to forty comments an entry and many of us had the same.

One way or another it has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I often think of those who have left and wonder how their lives are going.

I have had visitors from many countries, although, to my knowledge I have never had any comments other than from people in America and Canada. It is amazing to me that, since I first began writing, I have over 184,000 hits on my “blog.”

Social networking seems to be the thing these days. Places like Twitter and Facebook. I use Twitter myself. However, none of these social sites can ever take the place of a journal or blog in my opinion. A journal has a heart, it has a soul, it is part of the person who writes it, an extension of themselves and they can share so much more through their writing than they ever could by leaving short messages and sending endless cyber gifts. You get to know a person much better through a journal than you ever could on a networking site. You get a personal glimpse into their lives, their worries, their joys, their families and their views on many topics.

I guess it is quicker for most people to "network." We live in a lazy society. We live in a texting society where everything seems to be abbreviated. For most people, faster seems to be better. However, it will be a very sad day if blogs ever become a thing of the past.

So, although I no longer post daily, I will continue with my journal for as long as I can. As long as I can think of something to write, I will write it. As long as I have a photo to post, I will post it. As long as you continue to read me, I will carry on.

So, I would like to thank all of you who follow me, all of you who seem to enjoy my little space on the web. I would also like to thank you for your love and support which has sustained me on many occasions.

Now, I am going to be the first to wish my journal a happy fifth birthday!

Until the next time, dear friends and readers.

 

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33 comments:

  1. and im going to be the second.thanks for all you encouragement and support on my journal jeannette.you take care,love mort xx

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  2. Congratulatins on five years of posting a first cals journal .blog ,and yes you have been an inspiration to so many of us THANKYOU ,there seem to be daily problems on google but the stoic amongst us carry on ...love Jan xx

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  3. Congratulations on #5! A lot of life between Entry #1 and the one today! I'm glad you are with us! God Bless!

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  4. Oh Happy Anniversary! I feel very close to you thru your blog and have enjoyed every moment of the past 5 years! Keep on bloggin' Linda

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  5. I found a write up on CBS
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/18/world/main5172276.shtml

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  6. Good Morning Jeannette, Happy Fifth Birthday to your journal may you long continue to write to us. It is sad we had lost so many of our j-land friends you do miss them, it will be a year soon since we moved to Blogger and somedays I still struggle to get something done that I want to do on an entry however, we manage with a pit of patience we get there in the end. I too celebrate a birthday in two day my journal will be four and like many other you helped me get sorted out in the beginning and sometimes still do, which I am very grateful. Take care Love Joan.

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  7. Jeannette Happy 5th anniversary to your journal ~ I remember how you helped me when I started and Thankyou for that ~ Ally x

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  8. Happy Anniversary, 5 years, time flys. I am glad your still here. I would miss you.

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  9. Happy 5th!...I sure wish I was journaling sooner...at least publically...privately I have for 20 years...Your journal was the 1st I read...I was so delighted to find a friend from across the pond.I was only on AOL for 6 months..I hope you never end with blogger, it truely is a joy for me anyway to read what is happening in your life...Keep the stories coming...thx for sharing
    xoxoxox

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  10. Happy 5th Anniversary Jeanette. I hope you continue blogging for many more years, all your entries, stories and photos are a delight to read. Thanks for sharing your life with us. x

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  11. I finally got into the comments. I uninstalled explorer 8 and re-downloaded Firefox. Hope you are enjoying your journal anniversay. Hugs, Helen

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  12. Happy Birthday to Jeannette's Journal! I have been around almost five years myself. I, too, wonder about the lives of many of the aol jouralers who were "dumped" and I haven't been able to locate since. I am still a bit miffed at aol. My blog is NOT the same. I need to do a post in There is a Season. Yikes... anyway, may you have many more months and years posting, honey!! I will certainly be reading you!! Hugs and love, Val xox

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  13. Happy anniversary to your journal Jeannette. So many have gone now and although I do occasional entries the heart has gone from the community. I use Facebook more, not because I'm lazy, but I just don't have time to spend a couple of hours doing an entry. I'm out of the home for 11hrs a day working and don't want to be on the computer till the small hours like I used to do catching up on entries. That ceases to be fun, which is what journals shoul be about. Jeannette xx

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  14. Happy five year birthday to your journal! I wish you many more journal birthdays in the years ahead.
    xx

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  15. Happy 5th anniversary for your journal, Jeannette. Agree with your remarks on the progression (or otherwise) you commented on.

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  16. Happy Anniversary to your journal.... I have enjoyed getting to know you these past five years.... To many more adventures.... :)

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  17. Happy 5th Anniversary, Jeannette! I've been with you for most of those 5 years as I celebrated my 4th anniversary in May. I'm so glad you keep posting. I don't post on a daily basis either, between duties here at home & Facebook(I admit~I'm hooked on FB)plus limiting my online time...it's not as frequent as it used to be. Linda in Washington

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  18. Oh Jeannette this was such a sweet heartfelt entry and very well written too. I can related to everything you said. I love Facebook and Twitter but it is not the same as the pouring out of words that need to be said. As much or as little as that might be. ha.
    Take care. Happy 5th anniversary to blogging.
    Sonya

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  19. happy 5th. Although I may not commen as much I still read. I am so glad that we have gotten to know each other over the past 5 years. I look forward to many more years of friendship.

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  20. Hello Jeannette,

    First let me wish you a "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY" to your journal. You were the first one who welcomed me at AOL J-Land. I am so happy that you are still around. Your journal always makes me smile. I try to post as much as I can from time to time. I like all of my visitors who those who choose not to comment but I do LOVE reading each of the comments that I get. I especially have come to like getting to know people through their journals and their blogs. I want to say thank you for being the sweet person that you are and we all appreciate your journal for all that you share with us. Don't ever change Jeannette and take care.

    Monae

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  21. congratulations, jeannette. the years i have known you have truly blessed my life, and i am thankful that we crossed paths. i hope we will be online friends forever. i, too, miss the aol journals, but don't know if you are aware, you can set up your blogger blog to send out alerts when you post, just like aol. i get several alerts daily from journaler's journals. the transition never really bothered me, as it was fairly easily done, but i can understand how upsetting it could be to those who had difficulties in the transition.

    i will be on blogger till it dies, or until i do, whichever comes first. i don't post very often, but i do have to keep it open , as a portal to those i have grown to know and love.

    i hope you find the time to come over to the site i sent you, my poetry site, since there are so many wonderful talents over there. either way, i will be here, online, somewhere in cyberspace, and ready to read whatever you post and to be your friend when you need me.

    congratulations again, on both your journal, and your being cancer free another year.

    hugs,

    regina

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  22. Happy Anniversary from me too ! I am like you and have so enjoyed journaling. The other options just don't do it for me. I'm so glad I found your journal to read. I think your ghost tales first drew me in to reading it. Along the way I feel I've found a friend too. I'll be reading what ever you write and enjoy it too.
    'On Ya'-ma

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  23. Congratulations Jeannette on your Five Yrs Journaling.I agree with every word you have said here.You have a very interesting journal and I shall continue to follow you whenever the time allows.I too am not for facebook etc either.I miss lots of people from J/Land also and don't find many problems with blogger like some do. Take Care God Bless Kath xx

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  24. That's fantastic, Jeannette! Hope you've managed to save all your entries in the last 5 years. Yours was the first ever journal I've ever read and the dearest to my heart. Ithas been an hour to be able to share a bit of your life and I really hope to continue to do so. Wish you all the best. Big hugs and blessing. Ciao. Antonella

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  25. Happy anniversary. Wishing all the best for you and your beautiful family and look forward to reading your blog for many years to come Louise x

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  26. ((((Jeanette)))
    Happy Anniversary my friend!!! You have been on of my absolute favorite people ever for so many years. I LOVE, LOVE your journal :))
    My 6th year anniversary is coming up next month--very exciting :)

    Happy Anniversary and Big Hugs~
    Gayla

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  27. Big congrats coming you way!

    Have a good week.

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  28. I think of my journal as my life raft...

    xox

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  29. Happy Anniversary Jeanette. Yours was one of the first Journals I read way back when I first started. I even remember some of the milestones in your Journal/blog, like when you got new windows, hee hee. I find it fascinating that I can know what is going on in the life of someone across that vast ocean. Even if I don't comment, I am always out here enjoying your stories. Again, Happy ANniversary, and many more to come.

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  30. Belated congratulations on the 5th anniversary of your journal, you are right a lot has happened in those 5 years. Here's to more interesting entries in the future! Love B x

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  31. Congratulations Jeanette, you've always had a beautiful, inspiring blog, thank you for sharing so much with everyone.
    Take care
    Maire

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  32. Hi Jeannette...congratulations on 5 years of journaling.I remember when i first came across your journal on AOL,you inspired me to start my own journal and i joined our little family of friends in J/Land. Oh! i do miss those days even though i left aol server long before it closed down the blogs at times i did feel the urge to return to AOL. AOL had its faults,but there has'nt been any other network to come close to what we/our family of friends had. Now,i flit about on facebook,twitter,flixter and windows live from time to time,but its not the same...Best wishes Astra!

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