The Death Of My Blog?

                                                           

Dear Readers,

I have frequently given serious consideration toward ending this blog.  I have probably written as often, if not more, than any blogger out there today.  I've done so in an effort to promote my blog and cultivate a significant number of loyal followers.  However, it has become increasingly difficult to promote my blog with social media or on other internet sites.  On November 7th Craig's List made my efforts even more difficult when they re-designed their boards to prevent the embedding of a site link to blogs or for those who desired to promote their business.  Many other sites likewise ban the posting of links to blog sites and I simply don't have the expertise to market my blog as others have.

Frankly, I had hoped that my Kindle Giveaway contest (http://justcommonsense-lostinamerica.blogspot.com/2013/10/kindle-giveaway.html) would spur a revival of those who sign up as followers and email subscribers to my blog.  While I appreciate the few kind folks who have signed up, the numbers are so small that I feel like I'm writing for myself, or for a very small audience of readers.  That is essentially "talking to oneself" which can lead to insanity...or something like it.

I am not killing the Kindle Giveaway contest.  So I will continue to blog until the date of the contest drawing and will award a Kindle E-Reader to one of my loyal readers who are so deserving, having loyally followed my blog for most of its life span.  

However, after the drawing, if I have not seen a large increase in reader followers, I will terminate the blog on the 3rd anniversary of its beginning.  I doubt that it will be missed much, given the thousands of blogs out in the blogosphere today.  

My blog has been therapeutic as I worked to win my fight against cancer.  It has afforded me the opportunity to share my life with others, especially my children who now have a written history of their extended family, as I have written about family and friends, and love and fear and death, and all manner of things.  I would guess about two-thirds of my blogs are politically or socially related with a good third of them about people I have loved and respected and places I've lived and loved.

Many of you have become dear friends.  When I lose a reader, when months or years go by and I do not hear back from them I mourn the loss of their friendship.  Perhaps death or sickness has taken them away; folks like Jo, and Pammie Jean, and recently, not hearing from Rebecca leaves me sad.  For those of you still with me, those who take the time to comment or praise, or critique, you have been the oxygen that breathes new life into my efforts.  It has been for you that I have risen each morning, looked around at the world, and wrote about it.  It was always with the intention to touch your heart in some way.

So, let's get through the holidays, let's see what develops in the next seven weeks, but I suspect my "followership" will not go much higher than those 35 dear souls who have seen fit to sign up so far.  So, I fully expect this blog is in the last couple of months of life.

Meantime, I'll be writing about national issues, about meaningful Christmas experiences, about people who make our lives richer and meaningful.  And I'll do my best to make it interesting or humorous or heart-touching for you...until that last day when I write the last word, "Telestai...it is finished."

Thanks for reading.