"THE DAILY GRIND" AND THE "HONEST SCRAP AWARD"

I was able to read Joel Lumen’s post on his acceptance of the Honest Scrap Award for his blog, The Daily Grind. Oh, what a humble man!

I have been blogging since April of last year and if I will only look back, I'll find out that I have gone quite far from where I started.

Save for the most basic, I knew nothing about the computer then, especially about the Internet. And, honestly, I didn’t even know what the word “blog” meant.

Social networking has a lot to do with how I was able to get into blogging. For it was a friend in a social networking site who taught me much about it. I learned from the messages we exchanged and the emails containing detailed instructions on the many “how to’s” that he sent me to finish the initial entry of the blog I started.

That guy was Joel Lumen, the author of The Daily Grind, who was instrumental in my entry to the blogging world, and one of those to whom I passed the Honest Scrap Award.

It was so humble of Joel to refer to his blog as “nonsense” and “senseless”. But it was from that same blog's form and substance where my very own blog was patterned, such that if A Friend Named Goddy received an award, should The Daily Grind from where it was patterned not likewise receive its own?

And if a student was honored for a job well done, should his mentor to whom he owes the techniques of doing that job not have a share of that honor as well?

Well, oh yes, Joel, maybe you don’t deserve that award. But only because you deserve an award of far greater value than that.

Congratulations again, dear friend! And thank you, dear mentor!

ON BLOGGING

So, this is how it is to have a blog. Unlike a personal offline diary that is kept secret, it is publicly announced online. Readers from around the world are even invited to view it to see what the blogger has in store for them.

I'd like to thank those who read what I have written especially those who gave very encouraging comments.

That was actually my very first attempt to write a blog. The word "blog" was new to me. In fact, it was only last month when I came across that word and knew of its meaning—thanks to the kind help of Ms. Didi Manapat-Ignacio, a former classmate with a very brilliant mind, now a top official in the National Statistical Coordination Board and a former consultant of the Asian Development Bank; Joel Lumen, a U.S.-based friend and a blogger himself who unselfishly shared what he knew about blogging and who even took the time and trouble to make some researches just to satisfy some of my queries; and, of course, the author of Gabby's Dictionary, Lou Gaboy who, I believe, has the IQ of a genius. Gaboy's online dictionary, a very useful and essential tool in writing, has become something I can't do without.

I really thought one article would be enough for my blog. It did not occur to me that some readers might be asking for my next article. I soon realized that blogging is not just whimsical writing but a sort of a commitment to some readers and to those who expect to read more from me.

The truth is, so many things are stuck in my head and are potential topics for a blog. But I am aware of blogging consequences. I have to be very careful lest I end up raising the hackles of some people who may not like what I will post.

I have a very traumatic past and can write so many articles out of that. And I'm pretty sure some readers would be interested to read them—if only because there are some good things to learn from them. But my experiences involved many people including those in authority who might not like what I might write. It is really very important to be careful about writing so as to avoid ending up having enemies.

But how often do I really have to post an article? Is it monthly, semimonthly, weekly, or daily? As I please?

At any rate, blogging will help me utilize my precious time a lot more wisely. And, honestly, I find blogging a healthy activity especially for those who need a vent for their pent-up emotions.

Thanks again, friends, for reading my blog. I hope to write more articles regularly. Take care and God bless!