4 Years of derryX (The derryX shoot)

This past Saturday was the 4 year anniversary of the blog. A bunch of us got together for an incredible brunch at the Ruck followed by insane milkshakes at Snowman, and I have plenty to say about that event.

For right now, I’m going to talk about what it’s like for me to prepare for the blog and how that’s changed over the last 4 years. This is the so-called “shoot” I’ve been hinting to, so it’ll be all over the place.

One of the things that motivated me to get back into the hobby of blogging was my growing frustration with a number of bloggers who just didn’t get what it was. They’d be all over social media begging people for ideas of things to put on their blogs the next day. Then, the posts would be completely unoriginal and mundane. I’m all for collaboration if it fits, but when almost every post consists of just a sentence linking to someone else’s blog post, or when you go through something that someone else wrote and just hyperlink every other word to its wikipedia page, it’s really uninteresting.

So, I started up a blog to have a creative outlet for a lot of the crazy things that fire across my brain. Be it stupid graphics, ideas about food, stories about personal experiences, whatever. Remember, I’ve always loved writing, and I had a fairly successful blog back in the mid-00s that I discontinued for reasons which may someday make it into a book or (more likely) a pamphlet.

At the beginning of the derryX blog, I was throwing a lot of ideas at the wall to see what would stick. I had a bit of a social media presence via twitter, facebook, and commenting on other blogs, so I knew there would be people to read, but I wasn’t quite sure what types of things would draw other people in.

All along, I’ve wanted this to be a reflection of me. My own interests and style evolved over the last four years. My hobbies transitioned from video games and overeating to fitness and dining. So has the writing and what I bring to the blog. I’ve always tried to incorporate some elements of my own style into the blog, and, with the help of my buddy, MetalFrog, I’m happy with how it looks.

It turns out that the audience kept growing. But, as time moved on, I’ve had less and less time to dedicate to writing. Posts have become a little more focused and less frequent. I have a life and obligations within that life, and, sometimes, those take precedent over this hobby.

Through the blog, by our interactions, I’ve learned quite a few things, and a lot of those things have changed the way I live my life. I’ve made a lot of friends and met lots of people from all different walks of life. I get recognized from place to place. Through the writing of this, I’ve also been able to fulfill a dream to get back into teaching and to include one of my passions, food, with that. That’s all pretty damn cool.

It’s not all positive, though. One of the things I take pride in has been the ability to endure detractors. Let’s see. In four years, I’ve kept this going in spite of wanna-be stand-up comedians, the Albany Trolls, faux Sith lords, silly goths, Wednesdays, negative delusional foodies, and otherwise nasty people who have no problem smiling in your face or sucking up if it’ll benefit them, but are different people behind a keyboard. Some of them may have even had a hand in the takedown back in early April (sorry, but I’m not ready to point fingers at exactly whom just yet). The one thing these people need to realize is that I’ll take this down when I’m good and ready, not for them, but for me.

Have there been points where I’ve pondered ending the blog? Yes, many.

Did it have anything to do with this type of negativity? Hell no.

Like I said, I’ll end this when I’m good and ready. When I stop having fun doing this is when it’s over.

But that’s not now.

The fun is just beginning as far as I’m concerned, and whether you’re on board or not, we’re gonna enjoy it!

Thanks to everyone who has made the last four years great!