This is my 500th post. I remember a joke from a comic strip (can’t remember which one) that showed a historical marker that stated that it was the 1000th historical marker put up by a certain person. Of course, that was meant to be funny. The marker has no purpose except to reference itself.

But at risk of doing the same thing, let me reflect on this being my 500th post.

Doing 500 of almost anything is quite an investment of thought and aggravation. Since there is no financial remuneration for the effort. Is it really worthwhile doing? .

1. In readership, the answer is NO. I (as of today) average a little over 60 hits per post. Since, I have a couple of posts that have had several thousand hits, the average of the other 498 posts is more like a bit over 50 hits per post. Not really worth it. I have more hits on my slideshare account for a couple of dozen presentations… much less work. Periodically, I get offers from SEO experts in how to pull in more readership… but, frankly, my interests are fairly narrow and I expect my readership to be fairly limited. Not really looking to suck people in with deceptive links, tags, and the like.

2.  Financially, the answer is NO. I don’t do advertisements and don’t do “donations” and the like. Some do, and that is okay, I am sure. My son used to earn money by researching and writing copy for websites (and people have offered to sell those same services to me). It’s just not for me.

But there are reasons that are valid for me, at least.

A.  For me, these 500 posts help me think, create, and worship. I think better when I write… more so than when I am in internal monologue mode, or speaking mode. It helps me make something new. As long is it is only in thought it is likely to get lost. It will eventually fade away. It is also worship. My form of worship is not really in music, movement, or ritual. For me, it is in contemplation and action (or action/reflection).

B. It allows me to join the worldwide discussion of important topics (important to me at least). There are great voices of wisdom on the Web, and the idle chatter of fools. It is quite likely that I have have been among both the great voices and the idle chatter… but either way, one becomes part of the dialogue. As such, I get the opportunity to learn and grow, and others do (hopefully) from me as well.

C. It feeds my other work. It helps me with my lesson plans for seminary, as well as my (limited) work on books and articles. Ideas get created and tested in the blog and upon reflection, some ripen and are ready to be part of something bigger.

I don’t know if I will ever make to to 1000… but it is cool to have reached this milestone.

(2022 update. I have long passed by #1000. Time for a new hobby?)