10 Years of blogging

10-dulkar!

I don't believe it.

Its been 10 years since I started writing on this blog. Ten years. TEN YEARS! Ten long years.

Its a lot and lot of time. Its, its half of my adult life! Since my first post on this blog in Jan of 2004, I have come a long way. Some1293 posts, except this one. These ten years and 1293 posts, what a ride it's been.

If I can make tall claims, whatever I am today, this blog has had a very very large part to play in it. I am not a big deal but I am an aware individual and the act of researching and writing this blog opened my mind to a lot of things. If not for the want of writing better posts, I would've overlooked those things.

With the advantage of hindsight, the decision in 2004, to start a blog, is probably amongst the best decisions that I made in my life. Ever.

This blog, like I said earlier, it's been one hell of a ride. And oh man, did I enjoy it?

Along the way I've made a lot of friends, that otherwise would've remained inaccessible to me.
Along the way I learnt things that I would've otherwise oblivious to.
Along the way I developed the courage to go ask questions, at places, where it would've been a sin.
Along the way I realized that I loved the act of putting the words together and constructing sentences and coherent pieces. Well some were, still are, incoherent. But I realized that I loved writing.

Let me talk about writing. Probably the biggest takeaway from this blog.

While I was writing for those invisible readers, few and far between, I tried my hands at different things. I tried to write fiction, non-fiction, poems and what not. Even tnks, my first attempt at full-length fiction started on this blog.

If not for this blog, I would've never thought that I'd write the book. Actually this blog is a classic example of serendipity in action. How? Let me explain.

When I started writing this blog, I could write a single sentence without making grammatical errors. I still make quite a few. After all, English did not come naturally to me. I had to work hard for it. But once I got hooked to writing I started making efforts to improve my craft. I was writing inane posts that I knew nobody would ever read. But, unknowingly, I was developing a love for the craft of writing. More than love, I was unknowingly practicing the craft. I was actually like that bunch of infinite monkeys. Someone talked about the 10000 hour rule. With 1200 posts, I have definitely put about 2400 hours already. And then one thing led to another and I somehow knew that I've always wanted to write a full-length piece of fiction. Many years, posts and plots later, it took shape of The Nidhi Kapoor Story (website, FB page).

The book is still in the pre-publishing stage and I don't know how would it do when it comes it. However, I loved writing it. Now that I am done with it, the plot for the next full-length is already brewing in my head. Let's see how this experimenting with writing eventually goes.

Coming back to the blog, may be, just may be, I did not really make a dent while working on this blog But the blog did make a dent in my personality.

In fact, blogging gave me the biggest gift that I've ever got. The gift of writing. I have no clue what would I do if I could not write and express myself. There are times when words fail me but more often than not, writing has come to my rescue when I was trapped. I wish I could write better. And I know that more I write, better I'd get. And I am on it. Someday you'd see a bestseller with my name on it. I promise.

Call me indulgent, call me vainglorious, call me narcissist, I may be all of these things. I dont care. But I know that I am really proud to have completed ten years of blogging. And I have loved every minute of these ten years.

Hope I can write for another ten before I get bored..

And here is the most most important thing that I must talk about. I'd saved it for the end.

Dear readers of this blog, thank you. Apart from Naman, PD and Vivek, I dont know if anyone reads this regularly but whoever you are, thank you for reading. Even if you read one post, thank you. Thank you for those comments. If I have not replied, I take the blame. Thank you for landing on this page from I don't know where all. Trust me when I write, I dont want to attract traffic.

Thank you everyone for lurking in the shadows. For it was your apparent, yet invisible, presence that helped me continue writing on this blog for all these years.

Thank You!

And here's a toast for the next ten years...!