Digital Catharsis: Terrible.

Oops. I missed my own anniversary. Pink hair and porn stars on trampolines and a few too many gin and tonics will do that. My blog birthday. As of last Saturday, I’ve been a squatter on Hal’s server for two years.

The genesis of DigitalCatharsis actually started much earlier, back in 1992 when I began reading the memoirs of Robert Fulghum whose comic and candid explorations of the mundane first inspired me to put my pen to paper. His was the spark that started me writing.

If Fulghum was the spark, then he was the fuel. In 1997, during a climbing trip to Joshua Tree with my good friend Melissa, I was introduced to a young teacher by the name of Jim Styn who handed me a tiny business card advertising his brother John’s new webzine, Prehensile Tales .

From that first click the following Monday, I was introduced to not only one of the most intriguing people I have ever had the good fortune to meet, but also the concept of personal publishing, the idea of the internet as art, and eventually the blossoming digital subculture of weblogs and webloggers. It was his influence that started me writing again after a three year hiatus and eventually, after torturing him for years with spam broadcasted tales of my climbing adventures and travel stories, his mad HTML skillz and extraordinary generosity that finally put me on the web. Frankly, it’s all his fault.

Blame him.

553 entries (not including the 400 or so others on the old Blogger format), more than 4700 comments, 50,000 hits to my splash page (I have no idea how many to the site as a whole), and the half dozen or so gratuitous beefcake photos later, I’m still fascinated and deeply entertained by this electronic exploration into my psyche and both your reactions to it and participation in it.

I’ve made some amazing friends either directly or indirectly as a result of this adventure. Christy, Sabrina , Desiree , Jimbo , Pete , Bridget , Heather , Kat , Dawn , Melly , Brent , Tassy , your presence in my life whether it’s digitally or physically or both has been truely remarkable.

I’ve been inspired by dozens of other writers – people who remind me daily that I’m not nearly as talented or funny or provocative as I would like to think that I am. People who keep me writing if only out of total, shameless envy. People who are directly responsible for the HUGE drop in my productivity at work. People like Heather or Sarah or Greg .

Thanks for putting up with me for this long. It’s nothing short of miraculous, although more than mildly masochistic of you. Not that I mind. I love you all. If you haven’t ever commented here before, please, leave your mark. I’d love to hear from you. If you have, please do so again. This blog may well be all about me, but it wouldn’t be me without all of you. Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me.

And John, thank you again for making possible this post as well as all the others before it.

Comments

What an honor it is to leave the first comment.

- Keep up the good work Jimbo. Love checking your site everyday. Believe me, you are just as funny and provocative as you think. You might not be as hot as you think you are, but definitely as funny.

Posted by: Donnie | April 6, 2004 01:58 AM

WHEW! Halfway through this post I thought, "This sounds like he's ending the blog...NOOOOOOO!"

Posted by: brent | April 6, 2004 07:27 AM

Jim, thanks for never being dull each and every day for the past year or so that I've visited your site over my morning coffee. It's been a pleasure making your digital acquaintance.

Posted by: AVERAGE JOE | April 6, 2004 07:27 AM

This is my favorite part: "the mundane fist."

Posted by: John | April 6, 2004 07:37 AM

Jimbo, congrats on making two years. I enjoy reading your thoughts. Keep it up--you have a lot to say.

Posted by: Daniella | April 6, 2004 07:59 AM

Coming to visit your blog is always an adventure - never know what I will find. Thanks for always being such a great and an interesting read.

Happy anniversary!

Posted by: red | April 6, 2004 08:59 AM

happy birthday digital catharsis!

Posted by: matt | April 6, 2004 09:21 AM

happy late blogiversary!

Posted by: mikey | April 6, 2004 10:58 AM

Congrats!! Keep it up - else we'll have to find someone else to ogle from afar! Seriously, it's the writing that keeps us coming back. :)

Posted by: Amy | April 6, 2004 11:30 AM

I am eating ravioli out of the can in honour of your anniversary (or at least, lets pretend thats why). The baby is sleeping, I get food when I can.

Anyhow, I am glad you are with us in this digital blogfest. :-)

Posted by: jenB | April 6, 2004 12:32 PM

I read pretty much every work day, and it's not just because you post pictures of Tassy.

Posted by: UnderwearNinja | April 6, 2004 12:32 PM

I come here for the cool dog pictures ;)

Posted by: Noggie | April 6, 2004 12:49 PM

FINE--WE CAN MAKEOUT NOW.

Posted by: sabrina_c | April 6, 2004 01:50 PM

i hate it when you say stuff that gives me the warm fuzzies... it totally melts away my online persona that i have worked so hard on. (heh)
happy blog b-day. does this event require jello shots?
♡♡♡♡

Posted by: dvl (desiree) | April 6, 2004 02:05 PM

Congratulations Jim... Happy Anniversary. I haven't been anywhere close to bored yet since I've been stopping by. Thanks for putting yourself out there - and thanks to Halcyon for being the initial catalyst and now the ongoing host to keeping you out here. :)

Posted by: Janece | April 6, 2004 02:33 PM

I see I've been replaced by Greg.

Posted by: melly | April 6, 2004 02:40 PM

I remember that climbing trip back in '97. I'm still a little sore from it.

If I had known that passing on John's card would end up like this...well, I guess I wouldn't be as well versed on the 'man blouse'.

Keep up the great work Jimbo. I love your stuff and I'm honored to be a piece of the puzzle in getting your voice out there.

Posted by: Jim (kaya) | April 6, 2004 03:07 PM

Your site is a joy to read, Jimbo. It is poetic that we shared naked trampolines to celebrate your 2 year blogday.

Keep writing. Keep shining.

Posted by: Halcyon | April 6, 2004 03:33 PM

Congrats, chief! Looks like we've both been blogging for almost the exact same time, but methinks you've achieved a bit more in the past two years. Not only are you prolific, you're highly entertaining. It's a pleasure to have met you in person.

Rock on, Jimbo, and know that you'll always have a buddy in San Francisco.

Posted by: peter | April 6, 2004 05:05 PM

I forgot my blogday, too, and wouldn't have remembered if I hadn't read this post (though mine was a month ago and I was nowhere near porn stars ... bastard).

Congratulations, man! The writing is groovalistic, so don't tell yourself different. You have a skill for seguing from way-cool outdoor adventures to IM masturbation sessions that's rare on the Net.

I hope you're having fun.

Posted by: sid | April 6, 2004 05:10 PM

Happy Anniversary Grasshoppuh!

It seems as though you continue to 'always look eye' and that makes me oh so proud. Wishing you much joy and love always, even if we don't meet up quite so digitally anymore.

I promise to send a link one of these days when there's one to be had.

Posted by: #1 Fan | April 6, 2004 06:01 PM

Happy anniversary. Now, more beefcakes.

Posted by: jennn | April 6, 2004 07:03 PM

Grats, Jim. Best wishes for years to come.

Posted by: unmute | April 6, 2004 07:21 PM

Happy blog anniversary Jimbo, my most favorite 'not-gay-guy-in-a-man-blouse'.

Posted by: jaden | April 6, 2004 09:47 PM

Digital Catharsis, keep on rockin'!

Posted by: Christy | April 7, 2004 03:06 AM

red, (said in his best gump imitation) the mighty jimbo's like a box of chocolates...

you people all rule. seriously.