New (old) blog
I once heard a Boston-area detective-fiction author/BU professor whose name escapes me (and it's not Robert B. Parker because I'm a big fan of his work) posthumously quoted on WBUR as telling his BU students: "Nobody asked you to write." The quote went on, but I can't remember the exact wording, so I will try to paraphrase the rest: so at least make what you write interesting.It was meant to be a harsh dose of reality for his wide-eyed college students who all secretly had dreams of walking into a Barnes and Noble and seeing the center display dedicated entirely to their work. Basically, the point was: since no one asked you to write, give them a reason a read.
That is what I tried to do here. I know no one really cared specifically about my travails on the highways and byways of eastern Massachusetts. Some probably read for the light amount of entertainment I tried to provide. While others probably got mad at how I presented my opinions. Either way, I felt, people were reading, so I must have been doing something right.
I have been pleased to see that this blog is still generating about 100 unique visits a week, considering it hasn't had a new post in almost six months. That surprises and flatters me. I enjoyed writing this blog mainly because it was cathartic. And I was always grateful for the increased traffic I got when Adam at Universal Hub would link. Most of all, though, I found that I really enjoyed the medium. There's a lot of clutter in my brain, and blogging gave me the opportunity to remove some of that clutter, and at the same time satisfy my narcissism.
So, it seemed logical to me that I should blog about becoming a dad when Mrs. Boston Crazy Driving became pregnant. This, however, was not an appropriate place to do that given the highly focused nature of my topic. Putting the two together seemed like eating ice cream and scrambled eggs. That's why I started Daddyrific. It became its own place where I could write about being a new dad.
Both blogs were interrupted last year, though, when I moved to Raleigh, NC to change careers. I left behind Mrs. Boston Crazy Driving and son to teach. This was a decision made as a family. After 10 months of separation, we were finally reunited as a family on July 1, and are happily living in the Triangle of North Carolina. Of course, that means there's no more writing about Boston-area driving to be done, but I can carry on with being a dad again. And having summers off means I get to be a stay-at-home dad for a couple of months, too!
If anyone who used to read this blog had any interest in me personally, you can continue to read about me at Daddyrific.
Otherwise, thanks for reading, and happy driving! |
