The numbers game

Someone asked me if I already made one million hits on this blog.  The quick answer to that question is:  I don't know.  I deleted the counter two years ago and at that time, the count was around 300,000.  It is safe to assume that this blog had already hit more than a million.  Or not.  I don't know.

I figured the reason he asked was that some bloggers think hitting a million, or another million for that matter, is an important milestone.  Not for me, though.  Don't get me wrong. I don't think celebrating because a million people has pointed the mouse and clicked on the url is not reason enough for celebration.  It's just that I measure myself against a different yardstick.

I didn't create this blog to be popular. I don't write to create friends, or enemies, or fans, or hecklers.  I didn't accept the challenge of writing a regular column so I could make money, or build influence.  I write simply because I like doing so.  I write because it seems natural for me to do so.  I write the way I talk; I write the way I think.  But writing alone does not define who I am.  I am also a teacher, and in fact, I believe I am a much better teacher than a writer.  I am a banker by profession, too.  I've been connected with the financial services industry for close to two decades now and I can't imagine being with another industry.  I am also a social development activist, a family man, a friend, a lover.  The point I am trying to make is that I refuse to make this blog or my writing my life.  

I didn't and don't want to be caught up in the numbers game.

If a million people think what I write is worth reading, that's great; but I'd still feel the same way if there's just one or two or three.  The effort is the same anyway.  

The disclaimer that you find on top of this blog was written right on the day I created this blog.  I've edited it for brevity a couple of years back, but the essence has remained.

And that's all there is to it, really.


Comments

Anonymous said…
believe it or not, i see to it that i visit your blog at least once a week... for almost 6months now. you got sense.... that's why.
7:43 PM
Anonymous said…
hi sir bong! i totally agree.. while it is already evident that you are a good writer, you have also been an inspiration not only to your readers but to your co-workers and students as well. perhaps it is because of the passion you put in to your work.. may it be in writing, teaching, or being a boss.. your feedback - whether solicited or unsolicited has continued to create a positive effect from trivial to even life-changing.. no amount of blog hits could ever measure to that.

-Tin C.
2:37 PM
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