Yesterday, I checked the stats for my recent article, Nature Is in Crisis, But Why? on my David Wilson Out and About blog, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many views it has had so far.
What surprised me even more, though, was realising that I’ve now published 132 articles over the past two years. When I think about it, there’s been such a mixture of subjects along the way, and I suppose that reflects the different things I’ve experienced, thought about, and become interested in during that time.
I actually started writing during a particularly bad osteoarthritis flare-up, when I was stuck at home for several weeks. With not much else to do, I found myself looking back over my life and thinking about where I’d been, where I was going, and what really mattered to me.
Writing about my experiences, my thoughts on the past, and my hopes and concerns for the future has become a bit like therapy for me. It gives me somewhere to put my thoughts, and it helps me through those darker patches when my osteoarthritis and back problems stop me from doing the things I enjoy.
It’s also made me realise just how precious life really is. And if, somewhere along the way, something I’ve written has helped someone else who might be going through a difficult or confusing time, or perhaps struggling to come to terms with something in their past or present, then that makes all those hours spent writing worthwhile.
I never really set out to write 132 articles. Of course, it all started with one.
I started writing because I needed somewhere to put my thoughts. 132 might sound like a lot, but for me, writing is simply something I enjoy. I find it relaxing to sit down in the evenings, put some music on, and jot down my thoughts or turn them into an article.
So, two years later, I’m still doing it. I suppose that says something in itself.
