How My Readers Saved My Blog

Image by Affendaddy via Flickr
Yesterday I froze when faced with the blank page of this blog.  How could I write something that would compete for readers with the news of the day -- that Osama bin Laden was dead?

I put out a call to my readers.  Basically, to paraphrase The Clash song, should I stay or should I go?

My readers saved my blog.

Some of you offered comments; others sent me emails or tweets.  One reader who sent an email pretty much sealed it for me,

"You are far to important to stop doing what you are doing. You are in shock right now, so the best thing to do is to let some time pass, then dust yourself off and get back to what you do best. (Just like the firemen of NYC.) 

Coffee, core exercises and dog walks in the woods sounds like a cure to most anything.  Enjoy and don’t forget that we need you!"

How could I not write after getting such a note?  Thank you, dear readers.

Over at my poetry blog I've got a quote from Walter Lowenfels that has always served as a reminder: "One reader is a miracle; two, a mass movement."

My readers have spoken.  I will not remain silent.

How Osama Bin Laden Killed My Blog

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeOsama bin Laden killed my blog.

Yes, he did.  From the dead. I did everything right this morning.  Drank three cups of coffee (not tea, because three cups of tea is now tainted).  Walked my dog in the woods.  Did my core exercises.  Showered.  Got dressed.  Sat down at the computer...

...and my fingers froze.  What the hell was I going to write about?  I had no ideas.  None.  Zippo.  The latest potential IPO?  A conference I recently attended?  My thoughts on venture capital and cleantech?  Why conservatives have abandoned conservation?

Stumped.  I was completely stumped.

Aw, just shake it off, you haven't posted in a week and a half, your muscle just isn't working. You'll get it back.  Get up and have another cup of coffee, walk around, meditate. Do something.  

How was I going to compete with the death of Osama bin Laden?  And how was I going to write something that anyone would want to read in the wake of all the news of Obama bagging Osama? 
 
During last night's remarkable news, I thought of my friend Barbara, whose apartment was in the shadow of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  I'll never forget trying to find her on that day almost ten years ago to make sure she was safe.  She was safe, but shaken.

Her life was irrevocably changed that day, as were the lives of many -- of all of us, really.  I reached out to Barbara and found her on her way to New York City from Baltimore, where she now lives. 

But even writing about that seemed half-cooked, uninspired.

Then I thought, maybe I'm really stumped.  After over six years of writing this blog, I'm literally stumped.  It's not writer's block, that I can write through.  No, this feels worse than writer's block.  What's the purpose of a blog that can't compete with a major world event?

Like many things in my life, this blog feels like it's at a crossroads.

I'm in need of a serious rethink and I need your help.

Where does The Green Skeptic go from here?  Where do you want to see it go from here?  What do you want to hear about from me?  What do you want more of or less of?  Would you rather I just retire this blog and move on to other things?

Here's your chance, send me your thought in the comments here or via email (greenskeptic[at]gmail[dot]com.

I want to hear from you.