This post is an attempt to list those writers who for one reason another kept me coming back and reading in Open Salon day after day.  

I'm sure I've missed many other exceptional posts, and I wish that I had kept more notes while reading as I may do in 2010, but clearly as Duaneart expressed in

 Do You Not Realize the Power You Have?

 Listen…

when I read a post like yours

I don't just go on to the next one

I do not just go about my day...

 *So It Was Cancer by Frank Indiana

http://open.salon.com/blog/frank_indiana/2009/10/04/so_it_was_cancer

* Bitteroot Kiss by Greg Correll

http://open.salon.com/blog/greg_correll/2009/07/06/bitteroot_kiss

 * So I Bought a Canoe by Kim Gamble

 http://open.salon.com/blog/kimhunterg

 * My Plants,My Mother, My Life by Marcela in English

http://open.salon.com/blog/marcela_k/2009/04/29/my_plants_my_mother_my_life

* The Beautiful Bird by Duaneart

http://open.salon.com/blog/duaneart/2009/08/11/the_beautiful_bird

*Of Basketball and a Broken Heart by Owl_says_who 

http://open.salon.com/blog/owl_says_who/2009/05/03/of_basketball_and_a_broken_heart

 * Suicide's Auditions by Chuck Stetson

http://open.salon.com/blog/mean_mr_mustard/2009/05/31/suicides_auditions

 *Kill Zone by AJCalhoun

http://open.salon.com/blog/ajcalhoun/2009/04/19/kill_zone

* Swimming with a Black Swan by Tom Cordle

http://open.salon.com/blog/tom_cordle/2009/04/20/swimming_with_a_black_swan

*Waterman's Blues: Northbound 294  by Jimmymac1025

http://open.salon.com/blog/jimmymac1025/2009/05/06/watermans_blues_northbound_294

*Anger's Aftermath by Athena Bradford

http://open.salon.com/blog/athena_bradford/2009/06/23/angers_aftermath

*Walking Through a Meadow by Tinkerertink69

http://open.salon.com/blog/tinkerertink69/2009/04/19/walking_through_a_meadow

*The Impossible Rescue by Ralph Tingey 

http://open.salon.com/blog/ralph_tingey/2009/07/24/the_impossible_rescue_-_grand_teton_1967

* Fathers, Fine Arts and Forgiveness by Theodora L'Engle Knight

http://open.salon.com/blog/theodora_lengle_knight/2009/04/28/fathers_fine_arts_and_forgiveness 

*The Walk of a Lifetime in Search of Perfection by Ronnierayjenkins

http://open.salon.com/blog/ronnierayjenkins/2009/11/18/the_walk_of_a_lifetime

* Healthcare Sent My Wife to Iraq by Rutilus Extraho

http://open.salon.com/blog/rutilus_extraho/2009/10/15/health_care_sent_my_wife_to_iraq

*Romeo and Juliet at the Grocery Store by Chicago Guy

http://open.salon.com/blog/chicago_guy/2009/11/28/romeo_and_juliet_at_the_grocery_story

*Stream of Life (Maggie) by Micalpeace 

http://open.salon.com/blog/micalpeace/2009/11/11/stream_of_life_maggie

* On Men (and Women) of their Words by Wordsmith 

http://open.salon.com/blog/wordsmith/2009/05/12/on_men_and_women_of_their_words

 *Love Has A Memory by Art James

http://open.salon.com/blog/goat_gouda_blueberry/2009/11/05/love_has_a_memory

*Tales From the Mines: The Carnival Ride From Hell by Stephen McGuire

http://open.salon.com/blog/stephenmcguire/2009/09/16/tales_from_the_mines_the_carnival_ride_from_hell

*Challenged by Scupper by John Walker 

http://open.salon.com/blog/john_walker/2009/06/04/challenged_by_scupper

*Gratitude by Mikelpoet

 http://open.salon.com/blog/mikelkpoet/2009/11/25/gratitude

*The Harvest by Homer Langley

 http://open.salon.com/blog/homer_langley/2009/09/14/the_harvest

*Employee Orientation Procedures for the Coming Apocalypse by First Awake

http://open.salon.com/blog/firstawake/2009/04/26/employee_orientation_procedures_for_the_coming_apocalypse

*What Crazy Horse Taught Us by Noahvose

http://open.salon.com/blog/noahvose/2009/06/12/what_crazy_horse_taught_us

*Reflections on Homelessness by James M. Emmerling 

http://open.salon.com/blog/james_emm/2009/12/17/reflections_on_homelessness

*Autumn Dreams by Rita Shibr

http://open.salon.com/blog/ritashibraolcom/2009/09/22/autumn_dreams

*Ghosts of Summer by Cocoalfresco

http://open.salon.com/blog/cocoalfresco/2009/06/30/ghosts_of_summer_poem

*I Bought Flowers by Ben Sen

 http://open.salon.com/blog/ben_sen/2009/03/21/i_bought_flowers

 *Goodbye, Bipolar Brother by Hells Bells

http://open.salon.com/blog/hells_bells/2009/10/30/goodbye_bipolar_brother

*The Fraternal Twins Within by Dennis Knight

http://open.salon.com/blog/dennis_knight/2009/11/02/the_fraternal_twins_within

 *"You're All Here...I Must be Dying": Scattering Mom's Ashes by Grif

http://open.salon.com/blog/grif82600/2009/03/20/youre_all_herei_must_be_dying_scattering_moms_ashes

*My Sex by Robin Sneed

http://open.salon.com/blog/robin_sneed/2009/06/23/my_sex

 *Why Men Lie by Manchu Wok

 http://open.salon.com/blog/essene/2009/07/12/why_men_lie

*Packing But Going Nowhere by From the Midwest

 http://open.salon.com/blog/from_the_midwest/2009/03/23/packing--but_going_nowhere

*Clint Called Me a Slut by Beth Mann

http://open.salon.com/blog/beth_mann/2009/03/14/clint_called_me_a_slut

Separation by CarolinaBlue50 (In Memory)

*http://open.salon.com/blog/carolinablue50/2009/11/18/separation

*The 3rd Circle of Plastic Hell by Gary Justis

http://open.salon.com/blog/gary_justis/2009/07/25/the_3rd_circle_of_plastic_hell