James O'Brien

I can scarcely believe it’s fifteen years TODAY, since I started this blog. When I began writing this online journal, I’d recently gone through a relationship breakup, and was on the verge of a short-term secondment, working at Darwin in the Northern Territory. My first post was brief:

It’s late Saturday night. I still haven’t packed, I still haven’t organised the house, but I have set up an Online Diary, so I can record all of my thoughts and feelings while living in the Northern Territory. I hope this period will be a significant one in my life. A real turning point. The last few months I’ve felt a little directionless. I hope this will give me the strength to make a new life.

A couple of days later, I opened up a little more:

It’s been a weird day. Pat called me early this morning to tell me there have been complications with Michelle’s baby. Lachlan was born at 9.20 last night, but because of complications with the umbilical chord, the birth was an emergency caesarian. He had to be taken to Brisbane via helicopter, and Michelle followed in the ambulance. Michelle is okay, but there are some concerns about the little boy. Earlier today he had a 50/50 chance of surviving, but that seems to have improved. Concern about the possibility of brain damage remains. Please say a prayer for him.

My little nephew died about eighteen months later.

So much has happened in the last fifteen years in the world, and in my life. As I wrote five years ago, on the tenth anniversary of this blog:

As I look back on the last ten years, I have to say I’m much happier with my life now than I was then. Back then I was sad about the relationship breakup with Damien, something which I took far too long grieving. In between time, I’ve also I spent far too much time “beating myself up” over various things in my life and thereby making myself feel even worse. But something’s happened lately. I feel much better about myself. I feel much better in my own “skin”, and I feel like the new direction I was seeking in my life back then I’ve now achieved though in a much deeper way. It’s been an interesting ten years with lots of ups and down. Although I’ve never been overly personal here – you won’t find the saucy details of a mad pash and dash in the archives – it’s been an interesting to have this blog as a constant.

A lot more has happened in the last five years, as I’ve lost and gained friends, and have lost and gained family members, too. I’ve also travelled to lots of different parts of the world, and I’ve had a few different jobs. So many experiences.

Over the years, I’ve watched bloggers come and go, and have been grateful to have been given an insight into their lives. From the early days, I think Carol is the only one still consistently blogging. We actually met “in real life” a few years ago in unexpected circumstances, attending the same work-related event. In real life, I talk to Redsultana a few times every week. Through this blog I’ve also met Sandra, who I will be seeing her in Stockholm in a few weeks, and have introduced her to three of my real life friends also. I enjoy reading the regular postings of Victor, Neil and Andrew (though I sometimes skim some of his posts when he gets a little “grumpy old man”). I mean that in a nice way, Andrew, by the way. From early Blog meetups WittyKnitter and I occasionally swap tweets, though I’ve almost completely lost touch with Papertrap, whose blog no longer exists. Peter from Amsterdam has also stopped blogging, though I have fond memories of meeting him there a few years ago. I could go on, though of course, I’d miss mentioning someone, one of my “imaginary internet friends” (as Carol calls them), and I wouldn’t want to do so. They’ve all shared bits and pieces of their lives with me over the years.

As much as I love using all kinds of social media, I guess that’s why I continue to blog, and why I continue to enjoy reading other people’s blogs. Unlike most social media, which can rely on a quick few words here and there, writing a blog post seems to “require” a little more attention. You need to think a little more about what you’re planning to write, which hopefully means the posts are a little more memorable, and therefore meaningful.

I was 36 when I began writing this blog. I’m now 51. Now, almost 2,700 posts later. A lot has happened in the last fifteen years, and I feel so happy to have this wonderful record of things.