I have now been on Open Salon for two years. As a matter of fact, I missed the real anniversary date. I posted my first blog on the 8th of Febuary, 2009. It was called "Kids at an Ice Cream Truck" and had no ratings and no comments. I posted it again last year on my 1st Blogiversary and was told it was pretty good and should have rated better. But, like all newbies, unless you know someone here and they direct someone to your blog, you don't get read.
What messed me up on the date is that for some reason, on February 23, 2009, I posted another blog entitled "Scanner's Blog", introducing myself to everyone. Amazingly, I had two ratings and one comment and I was ecstatic. My first comment? It was from was my good friend and fellow redhead-lover "Boanerges1". His comment: "You're in the right place chum. Welcome aboard". That meant a lot to me and to this day he one of my favorites.
I wrote one paragraph that day. I said my name is Scanner and explained how being new to a computer, I had accidentally stumbled across Salon. which led me to OS. I actually said, idiot that I am, that if you don't like me, "blank me out" and for the first six months, OS did. I couldn't buy a reader until I got mad. I did everything I could think of to get attention. I cussed and called people names. Not much different than now, huh? hah!
But I also said something in that short post that was true then and now. I said "I guess I'm just and ole' Hippy trying to get through life with a little class and humor". I couldn't say it better today. Although I couldn't string two sentences together, couldn't SpellCheck, never ended a paragraph and made so many errors in my next few posts that they were all but unreadable, I received an EP the next week for a post I wrote called "Pig Pickin's, Moonshine and Mustangs". It was filled with errors and I could barely read it myself. But it was honest and I'm very proud of that story.
This place is amazing. It has let me write anything, anytime I want and there are no rules. Where else can a person like me, who didn't go to college but has always wanted to write, get an education like this? I have learned from some of the best writers in the world. In these two years I have found SpellCheck. I can end a paragraph at the proper place most of the time and I can make myself understood, most of the time. But I still do one thing, I write with honesty.
I have worked my ass-off in the last two years to improve my writing skills and get respect. In the first six months, I was ignored and insulted by a lot of people and that made me mad. I promised myself that I would learn how to write. Write interesting stories that people would want to read and be error free, for the most part. I busted my ass reading and commenting, trying to get my name out there. I wrote mostly political stuff and controversial stuff and I pissed people off. But I got readers. Some who threatened to kill me, but slowly and surely, I got readers.
Then I did a switch around. I stopped writing about politics, sports and everything else that is unpopular here and started writing fiction, humor, poetry and personal stuff, which is what makes this place tick. I made a new me and now I'm as happy as I've ever been. This place keeps me sane. You people, my friends, keep me sane. I wrote a post the other day about how fate, or Karma has never failed me. I sincerely believe it was Karma that led me here. OS has been my savior and I want to thank everyone here, even the people who don't like or read me. If this place had not found me, I don't know where I would have ended up. I love this place, this Open Salon, and I thank you all from the bottom on my heart!
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Alii
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Buffy
And we are so glad you are here, Scanner, you are an anchor and a friend....we look forward to your blog everyday.
Your writing has improved and you live and learn.
Keep writing here friend.
You got plenty of friends and readers now.
Karma is a very mysterious thing - it works in unpredictable ways, if you believe in it.
Cheers to many more years!
♥
rated with hugs
`R
(*'heck, you might've ended up on Open Salon*)
.
And don’t ever “kick him in the ass” dogs deserve better!!
Happy two year anniversary! I applaud you for your efforts since I have trouble being consistent for 9 months straight.
Best Wishes,
Blittie
What really got my huttenshun was Rare Earth
IdontparticularlygiveashitwhatsomeyoungsnapperwhipperhastosaybuttIhaveanoldRareEarth8trackoftheminconcertGetReadywasmyfavoriteBTWIspilledcoffeeonmykeyboardandcantseewhichkeysareforpunkshuashunWhatamIgonnadoaboutmyownblog
rated with love
I read everything you post. (I don't follow you around and read your comments, just your posts here.) There's a reason for that.
It is a delight to read you and watch your style evolve--and note it even works when it comes to readers and ratings. EP's only seem to be about the clicks, and if you take them seriously you're really fucked, and if you don't think most writers are competitive you haven't been paying attention.
I salute you for the way you have applied yourself in your effort to become the solid writer you are today. Happy 2nd Blogiversary!
Lezlie
Readers.... what are these readers I hear you talk about?
rated
So, with pen in hand (or rather, with keyboard at fingertips!), I started to write my first blog. Interestingly enough, you were the first person (and only person) to comment on that blog, so thanks for that! We newbies are just trying to find our way around this site and know nobody, so I'm looking forward to pissing people off and making friends...:D Happy 2nd anniversary! Cheers!
xoxo
Kim
Congranulations.
There. I said it.
rated
(I mean, stay, of course, not go...you know what I mean!)
Congrats, my man. You are doing an incredible job. Much more than I can say, I'm afraid.
Real life sucks.
Scanner rocks.
It was awesome.
:D
Just kidding, I've never read ya, but you seem to have a lot of friends, including me!!!! ;) Loves ya man, even when you were all politicial and demanding the head of Sammy the Snake(Ah, the good old days!!!! :D) to your poetry about Sheepdog's fleas!! We's loves them too! :D
Absolutely. It can be tough to get noticed here. Some of my first posts got no comments too, so I know how that felt. Glad you persisted. You're now one of the reliable veterans here!
The way how you grow on open salon really cheered me up. Maybe my way could be more difficult than you cos i am a young girl from China and i have never been abroad. But i am determined to write about my stories in English because i have a passion about English. I love this language and i love this culture. Everytime i write in English i feel that i am touching beautiful keys of a piano, and that i singing songs of my soul. I know when i write, i may not have enough vocabulary, but i am not afraid of learning. It is a huge University here, i thought my English was good in a University of China, but when i came to Open salon, i find everyone can be my teacher, some of the articles are even too difficult for me to understand because of the culture...But, still, i will keep going on my way.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Warm regards from China
What I like about you, Scanner, is that you DO tell it like it is ... like it is in your heart. And who can't but love a guy who speaks his heart!
Thanks for posting the video, I always thought Rare Earth was a black group.
It's a learning curve for sure, and you've given a lot of people your hand - also a lot to talk about !