My local newspaper growing up was the East Hampton Star. A weekly publication whose banner proclaimed it "shines for all." Over the years I discovered it didn't shine quite as bright for some as it did others, but that discussion I will leave for another day. There was a particular section that always interested me, it was called On this Day. It featured some stories from 25,50 and 75 years ago. Those stories would sometimes mention my ancestors. Seldom would I read about any current family members in that paper, as I said it didn't shine quite as bright for some as it did others. Still I always read that section with interest and there were times when my parents or grandparents would say, I remember that. There stories didn't always agree.
This morning when I opened my Facebook page and scrolled down the page browsing comments left I read one in particular that made me think. Someone had asked if my blogs were somehow available offline. I was flattered to hear that at least one person was interested enough to want to perhaps purchase a subscription or something to read them. I have had a few printed in a hardcover book but that is quite expensive. It was only for myself, and as far as I know you couldn't purchase a copy. I have looked a few times and you can have things like that printed in an e-book type thing and sell it on Amazon and some other outlets. As I recall that is a bit cheaper but still not an inexpensive undertaking. I have serious doubts that the out lay would justify the return. What do they call that, a niche market. Mine would certainly be a sub-niche or even smaller.
Not counting today I have posted five thousand four hundred and sixty three blogs. It isn't 100% daily but close. It has been 15 years so far. I have always said I began writing these as a sort of diary of my life. I just want my descendants to know my opinion of things. If I don't tell my story someone else will and they just might get things wrong! The majority of my blogs do involve current events, the current social happenings and my view on political questions. There is some philosophy involved in all of that. There isn't much exciting for me to write about, my life is rather dull and boring I'm afraid. I'm not complaining about that, it is the way I like it. It's a good thing to age and not be surrounded by drama.
It's a nice thought that my descendants could have access to them all. I'm thinking they could read one every day, like I used to read those weekly stories in the paper regarding the past. I've found most people don't enjoy the past, until it has past. What I mean is, years later you do take an interest in the everyday mundane things of the past. It's just that now you have something to compare it to, that's my feeling on that. I can remember reading about my great grandfathers horse dying in that paper. That was reportable news because he ran the Maidstone Taxi, a horse and buggy taxi, and that horse was one of his team. Local interest. I wonder what his personal thoughts on that were and what did he do with the dead horse? Do you bury them or what? All I know about that is, you don't beat them.
I do think about having them published in some form. I began printing then myself at one time but that proved too cumbersome, time consuming, and costly. There are fragments around in various files and folders. A bunch of paper I'm certain will be discarded after I'm gone, if I don't do it myself. I do like the whole e-book thing, that sounds like the most reasonable choice for me. I just have a very hard time justifying the cost. Maybe there is something else that can be done, I don't know. I have zero expectation of every making any money off any of that. I'm not writing for profit, and a good thing too, because I'd surely be hungry. Well, it's nice to think about anyway. I like to think that my great granddaughter may one day look at the calendar, turn a page or whatever they are doing twenty five years from now and read what her great grandfather had to say. On this Day fifty years ago! Facebook? What's a Facebook? And you had to type things in? And he thought artificial intelligence might ruin the world! That's pretty funny stuff.
Just what was he talking about?
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