A Week of Milestones

I am full of good humour this week.

Firstly, I have just come back from a week away and am eager to write.

Secondly, I enjoyed an amazing concert experience on Saturday in an amazing venue and it was glorious. I'm still buzzing from it now.

Thirdly, I don't have to go back to work until tomorrow so I have a spare day where I can catch up on stuff that I love without pressure or pull elsewhere.

Fourthly, and most importantly, I have a week of milestones Vocal-ly speaking to celebrate.

100 microfictions

Tomorrow is the 9th April. A day like any other. My uncle's birthday. A Tuesday. First day back at work. But more than that, it is the day that I publish my 100th microfiction for 2024.

I, as well as some rather brave or stupid others, embarked on a challenge where we agreed to write a microfiction every day. Not all have gone the microfiction route; others have written something every day, whether that is a sonnet or article, opinion piece, etc.

It was the idea of L.C. Schäfer in the first place, if blame is to be placed anywhere:

D.J. Reddall and Gerard DiLeo have also managed to keep up a pace.

So, is this story a self-congratulatory pat on the back? A little, yes. But it's also a reflection on what you can do when you put your mind to it. 100 stories felt like a mammoth task and yet, here I am, about to climb onto the ledge, to look back at the view and then turn to face the next climb to 200. It still feels daunting but has greater possibility for success than it did before.

I'm not going to analyse my process or anything like that. In fact, let's move on. I just wanted to say something about it and not let it pass without being highlighted, I suppose.

5000 reads

And actually 100 stories is more relevant in light of this achievement with which I was presented when I looked on my stats' page this morning. A nicely rounded 5000! Exactly. On the nose.

I wouldn't have commented but it was sitting there all primly and expectant and I couldn't disappoint it now, could I?

It's taken me a long time to get to this. This is not a boastful moment by any means because I'm not really sure what there is to say about this. For me, it makes me feel happy but in the big world success scheme of things, it doesn't mean a fat lot. It's my achievement though which brings me to the next thing.

I couldn't have got there without you.

This does give me a chance to thank those of you who return again and again and consistently read my stories and opinion pieces and poems and whatever other thing I've chosen to write on a given day.

Thank you for the reads. But more importantly, thank you for the interaction. I have such great comment based relationships with other writers on here that stretch me and amuse me and challenge me, all for the right reasons, that it only seems fair to thank you for getting me to this level. I hope that my commenting on your work provides as much as your taking the time commenting on mine provides me.

And so, a toast to finish:

Here's to 100 more microfictions and 5000 more reads and to many, many more wonderful interactions with you lovely people as a result.*

*Except for spammers or people who harass me for my email. You are not well received.

Thanks for stopping by! Please do leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers although note * above some of you, before writing anything. You know who you are.