The Famous 3000th Post

Give or take a few posts that may have been lost along the way (Blogger wasn't always reliable in the early years), this is the 3000th post of A Shroud of Thoughts. Back when I began this blog on June 4 2004 I never dreamed I would reach 1000 posts, let alone 3000 posts. It seems a bit of miracle that I have. For those of you who are curious, I think that comes out to 240 posts a year or 4.6 posts a week.

In fact, provided I post nearly every day through December, 2016 is on course to break the record for the most number of posts in a year. The current record holder is 2010 with 272 posts. I figure if I keep up 7 posts a week, I'll reach 275 by the end of the year. Sadly, I swear most of this year's posts have been eulogies.

Over the years I can't say that A Shroud of Thoughts has evolved much. It has always been devoted to popular culture. That having been said, there have been a few changes over the years. I used to address more recent films, TV shows, and music in the blog, but I ceased doing so several years ago. This actually wasn't a conscious decision. I simply prefer writing about the films, TV shows, and music of yore to the films, TV shows, and music of today. Another change is that at one time I wrote a few more personal posts. I dropped those after about the first year. Besides being a very private person, I really don't think anyone is much interested in my life.

Another change for which I have never particularly cared is that I write many more eulogies in A Shroud of Thoughts than I did when I began. The sad fact is that the classic stars of film, television, and music are dying at a much faster rate than they were in 2004. I have to confess I have never much cared for writing eulogies. Quite simply, to do so means that someone has died. For those wondering why I call them "eulogies" rather than "obituaries", it is quite simple. To me an obituary is an objective announcement of someone's death, while a eulogy is a celebration of that individual's life. Given how emotional I can be in my eulogies, it would be improper to call them "obituaries".

I really don't have any regrets about having begun A Shroud of Thoughts save one. I wish I had chosen another name. "A Shroud of Thoughts"is taken from  Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage canto iii stanza 113. I chose it because at the time the trend in blog titles tended towards those including the word "thoughts" or a synonym thereof. In retrospect, I should have chosen a title more fitting a pop culture blog. I discovered the word "retrophilia" a few years after starting A Shroud of Thoughts. It means "a love of times left behind." I did use it for the title of my Tumblr blog. The simple fact is that by the time I'd thought of changing the title, A Shroud of Thoughts already had a readership. I was afraid a title change would confuse my readers.

Anyhow, I have enjoyed writing A Shroud of Thoughts over the past 12 and a half years. Given the length of my posts and how often I post, it has meant a substantial investment of time on my part. And I do wish I could actually make a living writing the blog. That having been said, as Confucius said, " Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." I certainly do love writing A Shroud of Thoughts and I can't see giving it up any time soon. I hope that both A Shroud of Thoughts (and myself for that matter) are around for another 3000 posts.