I realized last evening that I have now written over 100 posts on this blog space. I have to be honest, I am rather pleased with myself. I doubt that anyone, especially me, thought I would keep it up this long, or be this faithful. I am not one who is exactly known for capitalizing on any of my talents, or for my doggedness in sticking with a task. I am the one who is still getting my Christmas decorations down, and the Halloween placemats are still hanging in the laundry room where I left them to dry.

So, for me to have completed over 100 posts is something of a shock. Although I knew, in the back of my mind, that I have been writing them for awhile now, I didn't bother to pay attention and add them up. So, to see the number, 101 posts, was a big, and rather pleasant, surprise.

Some posts have been good, some posts have been bad, but none have been easy. Some days, it's a struggle to think of anything to talk about at all. Other days, it's a struggle to limit myself from spilling words like a broken pinata. Either way, putting the words down on paper has taken a lot of self-discipline, and I feel very good about it.

One of my goals, back when I started, was to force myself to write on a regular basis, to be a writer, instead of just talking about it. That is one goal I think I am accomplishing. Whether you like it or hate it, if you think I'm a gifted wordsmith or a hack, I am doing it, and learning from the process, about how to write for real.

Part of the process which cannot be overlooked is the offering up of my writing for consumption by others. That is, I have realized, the key point between someone who can legitimately claim to be a writer, versus someone who occasionally puts pen to paper, or fingers to computer keyboard.

By allowing other people to become part of the process, you learn to write differently, more thoughtfully, more thoroughly. Even when offering an opinion, you tend to do it more carefully, more thoughtfully, more sincerely. When you know that someone may disagree, you want to be sure that you know the facts, and will be able to support the opinion you have spouted.

I have been told by a number of people, some sounding remarkably surprised, that I am funny, as if that was unexpected. Humor is part of my coping process. If I can turn something devastating into something devastatingly funny, it helps me to muddle through and maybe even to move forward. Or possibly it is just about acceptance. Humor is a necessary part of life for me. Without an ability to laugh, life would be a bleak thing, indeed.

I have a lot more funny stories stored up, and I look forward to telling some of them in the future. Have you heard the one about the IRS audit? It's hysterical. I'll be sharing that little tidbit just as soon as they are done with me, which at the rate we are moving, is going to be a long wait. But when you have kids, an ex-husband, and six pets, you have an unlimited supply of other material with which to work, so there should be no shortage of amusing tales to come.

The last 101 posts have been a genuine adventure, and I am thankful to be living in an age where being "published" is as simple as starting a blog online. I wonder what Socrates would have said to the idea that any Dick, Jane or Sarah could write to the masses, and even have a chance to be heard?