A Kaleidoscopic Life
What a difference a year makes...
Welp, this is the big day. Exactly one year ago, with some trepidation, I launched my 5 a.m. Stories, with Haunted, But Undaunted.
That small action was followed by an unforeseen whirlwind. I’ve now had 59,000 pageviews, and I count 336 followers in 18 countries.
What a difference a year makes.
In recognition, the folks at Substack sent me the etched crystal trophy shown above, hand-crafted by artisans in Florence or some such place.
My project began as a way to entertain my friends with episodic memories I had scribbled down during the pandemic, but now my stories reach hundreds of total strangers, many in far-flung places.
To quote myself in my launch message, “This is not a pompous or somber memoir. There will be humor, sarcasm and irreverence aplenty, as befits a kaleidoscopic life recalled by a smartass.”
I certainly did not achieve this alone. I need to thank my very tolerant wife and son, for letting me write about our shared past without seeking legal representation, at least so far.
I owe a huge debt to a small but mighty army of amazingly creative friends, who edit my stories and make sure they show up looking the way they are supposed to look on the Substack platform. Without them, there would be nothing but gibberish.
These very special folks are widely scattered, living in Santa Fe, Toronto and Chicago. Just recently they have begun to get in touch with one another, which makes me smile but can’t lead to anything good.
Looking back on my first post, I promised several very specific stories. Most of those have appeared, but one, a very romantic piece, is waiting for exactly the right time. Please keep watching for that one, to be headlined, “Beer Party Bride Held in Torso Slaying.”
My most popular story of the whole first year, by a comfortable margin, was one called Life’s a Holiday, about the little street where I grew up in Indianapolis. That street, Primrose, has its own podcast.
The second most popular was Uh-Oh, They Got Lady Mondegreen, which I aimed purely at fellow word-lovers out there.
And in third place was Superhero’s Secret Identity. Please help me keep the secret.
Rounding out my top ten list were:
I guess the break’s over. Time to put away my priceless trophy and dial up the sarcasm.
Sure, like that’s gonna work…
Amazing work, Bob.
I'll bet you have a shelf of trophies (and/or bottles). Keep the stories coming.