1 Million Hits B.C.

Wow.

I started this blog on June 6, 2005 – just under five years ago. Since that fateful day, there have been 6,020 posts (most of them involving fabulous babes), 36,000+ comments (most of them from RT), and now, this tiny, insignificant blog reached an unbelievable milestone: one million unique visits!

Naturally, I have writer’s block today. Those of you who know me personally know how rare it is to see me speechless, but what can I say? The bloated gasbag you have all come to know and love/hate can’t put a coherent sentence together on the biggest day in this blog’s life. So instead, I’ll tell you a story:

In January of 2004, I was talking to a college pal of mine. He sent me a link to his “blog.” Being a wise-ass, I wrote back, “What the frak is a blog?” He explained that it was akin to an internet journal where people post their thoughts, stories, and rants. I thought, “People actually read that crap?” He assured me that they did. Being a self-centered blowhard, this was just the thing for me. I could rant about the things that annoyed me – like, “humans” – and practice what I love – writing- at the same time!

The first blog was born, and it lasted 11 months. I quit that one because of troll trouble and swore I wouldn’t go back. I was out of the game for six months when I christened SYLG, so it seems that I am a big, fat liar.

The first year was fun, but some of the posts were really raw. Check the archives; it’s true. I had a few loyal readers and made a couple of very good blog friends. Being an attention whore, I started reading and commenting on bigger and better blogs. Not a difficult task considering my posts, but I gained a few readers here and there. I worked really hard at writing posts and adopted a policy: I would try to respond to every single comment. It’s a policy I still employ because I think the interaction, the give-and-take makes the blog better.

Soon, more people stopped by to read. Then people stopped by to read and comment. I made new friends of both the “real world” and the “internet” variety, and this insipid little blog started to look like a family. An insane, inbred family, but a family nonetheless. In just five years, SYLG’s daily visits went from 10 to 1,000. And while that is a drop in the bucket for people like Ace and Rusty, it was more than enough to keep me fat and happy. But mostly fat.

The blog opened doors. I was asked to contribute at Blogs4Bauer. I was offered a writing position at Family Security Matters. I was interviewed by Deb Goodrich on her Topeka, Kansas radio show – twice! And I was asked to be part of something really huge, but I can’t talk about that yet. Soon, though.

None of this – my success, or whatever you would term it – is because of you good people. Without you, this blog disappears. So, thank you all for reading. Thank you all for commenting. Thank you for linking. Thank you all for making Support Your Local Gunfighter what it is: a pretty damned good blog. I hope I continue to earn your readership.

Oh, before I forget, it seems the lucky visitor is Sully! Congratulations, my friend! Let me know what you want for your victory!