Eighteen Years!

18 years.
That's how long I've been publishing at Out of My Hat. 
This is post #2797. If I keep writing at my current normal rate, I should be at post #3,000 about my 19th Blogoversary.

It has changed a bit over the course of time.
So have I. 
So has the tech world of blogging, vlogging, and social media.
There was no such thing as Facebook, Twitter, or most of the current social networks. 
There was My Space.
Blogger was not yet under the Google banner.
Most of the blogs I initially followed have long since vanished into the virtual black hole that eventually consumes all things, only Mike's Billions of Versions of Normal and Bill's Bilbo's Random Thought Collection remain. Both began around the same time as Out of My Hat.

The 2,797 posts tell much about who I was and who I have become. It is interesting to have a written record that shows the growth and evolution of John. I can understand why people keep diaries or journals.

Out of My Hat began as just a place to write and share my thoughts. It used to be important to me that people were reading what I wrote. I'd check the number of hits and see where they were coming from. There were (and are) readers and bots from around the world. Now, I really don't care as much.

I've left the evangelical world, so it isn't that important to me that you believe what I believe. Writing about faith has lost its urgency. While I still enjoy sharing my faith and how it has changed, I am honestly more interested in hearing about your thoughts on faith and philosophies on life.

Retirement has allowed me more control to choose when I spend time with people and that has allowed me to live a much less stressful life. There is great peace in a quiet and contemplative life of porch sitting, cigar smoking, and tequila or bourbon sipping.
I tend to my plants. I read. I think. And sometimes I write.
Life is pretty good.

John