I did get comfortable.

In a stream-of-consciousness sense, I found myself wondering who I’m doing these anniversary posts for — you all, or me. And in the next thought, I realized that’s exactly the dueling mindset I was in when I started the site.

If readers like what I write, great. But if they don’t, hopefully I will. 

I’ve been healthier in expressing myself at this place than anywhere else, regardless of the audience.  I’ve been my best friend here. I can’t always say that elsewhere. 

At the same time, that audience — and more specifically, the community that formed around Dodger Thoughts in the Baseball Toaster days — was more rewarding than I can say. Having readers was great. Bringing people together and forming bonds was beyond great. 

So, that’s a relatively short way of explaining why I’m celebrating this anniversary even when I haven’t been writing much here lately. July 21, 2002 remains a life-changing day for me.