My how time flies! Can you believe it’s been a whole year since I signed up on WordPress and started this blog? Seems like it was just yesterday that I was picking out a theme and figuring out the features. Here are a few stats to show how far I’ve come since I started.
I have made 330 posts counting this one.
I have posted a total of 141,995 words prior to this one.
I have acquired 1,416 blog subscribers. Thank you so much for subscribing!
There has been a total of 3,285 comment posts. Thank you for being so interactive!
There has been over 1.3K shares on Twitter (X) and 1.3K shares on Facebook, and over 1.2K shares on most of the other sharing sites supported by the platform. Thank you for sharing!
Aside from the numbers, I feel like I have grown in many other ways by starting the blog.
I have become better and more comfortable with writing.
I have learned how to open up about things I used to keep to myself.
I have met and interacted with some really amazing people.
I have shared a part of my life, leaving a small footprint on the world.
I have felt supported by an incredible community.
I have entered a considerably better state of mind.
I have learned that blogging is about people more than money.
Thank you all for reading, liking, sharing, and contributing to this site! You have made it a wonderful experience for me! Let’s do it again!
Have you enjoyed this blog? What’s your favorite part? Do you have a favorite post? Is it easy to read? What would you like to see more of? What keeps you coming back? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!
I’m not sure what tomorrow holds, but I can postulate a few possibilities based on the way things are going. Here is what I think a city in the far distant future might look like. I will try to write it as though it has already happened.
In the 21st century, most of the population lived in densely populated cities that were spread out geographically. These cities were surrounded by suburban areas filled with people who commuted into the city for work. The population in these concentrated areas gradually dissipated as a result of several factors, causing cities to shrink and evolve over time.
The first stage of city evolution was caused by the world shifting to a pure information economy. This caused all nations to begin laying the infrastructure for high-speed internet connectivity every place on the globe. Global connectivity increased frantically, while more and more information related jobs opened up everywhere on the planet.
In the past, people had to live close enough to their job to commute into work. Once the information age came into full swing, people realized that their job no longer forced them to live in a particular location. Mass droves of people gradually migrated away from the city and suburbs toward communities that provided more enjoyable living. Lower cost of living was another major contributing factor in this great migration.
The great migration was also aided by advancements in online shopping. Online stores evolved to give buyers a comparable experience to actually going into the store, including the ability to explore all products in 3d and zoom in and out. Advancements in AI also greatly aided the customer in finding just what they wanted.
Advancements in robotics and AI also allowed for great improvements to shipping and delivery. It became possible for a person to purchase any kind of product online and have it delivered for free within a day. Some things, like groceries and food, could be delivered much faster. Supermarkets eventually became obsolete because they took up valuable time and added to people’s frustration, plus there was always a larger selection online. Because of these advancements, restaurants also began to focus heavily on their online presence and greatly broadened their delivery options.
All these changes restored home life to being the center of a person’s world and not the city. A person could get up, log into their job, do their work, have their lunch, order their groceries, buy something for themselves, and have dinner delivered in the evening. Over time, these changes caused smaller communities to grow up which provided people with more enjoyable living options and large cities eventually became obsolete and deserted.
Possible discussion ideas
Does this sound like a likely future?
Is this a utopian or dystopian world to you?
Can you see signs this is already happening?
Do you believe this will increase quality of life?
Do you already work from home?
Do you buy most things online already?
Let me know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!
I live in fairly large city, but it doesn’t feel like one sometimes. It’s been described as a big city, with a small-town vibe. I think this is because the people here are pretty friendly, and the community feels relatively safe. This allows you to get to know quite a lot of the locals. There’s still plenty of new people to meet every day, but some faces become familiar after a while. Below are few things I like about where I live.
22 things I like about where I live.
There are a lot of things to do within walking distance.
It feels relatively safe in the downtown area.
People who live here are usually very friendly.
My job is few minutes away and I can walk there if I want.
The neighborhood looks very clean and well kept.
There are a lot of luxury apartments in the area.
I can cheaply rideshare to any place in the city.
The downtown area has a thriving nightlife.
There are tons of restaurants, bars, and fast-food places.
I like my balcony view from the third floor, very peaceful.
There is a nice community room with a pool table.
The apartment residents are fairly quiet.
There is a nice workout center I hardly use.
There is a community pool that I never use.
My vehicle is always protected in the parking garage.
I can get just about anything delivered to me.
I don’t have to drive far for groceries.
There are shopping malls not too far away.
The city has a large zoo and botanical garden.
The city has a library and several art galleries.
There is a movie theater and two comedy clubs downtown.
There is a large symphony hall in walking distance.
What it looked like today from my balcony.
Balcony view from my apartment on the third floor.
Some photos I took of my neighborhood.
Please share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!
When I was very young, I lived with my grandparents, and the neighborhood had quite a few people from their generation. One such couple lived right across the garden from the place where I lived.
I should explain that it was a small rural town that I lived in, and practically everyone had a garden. Most of the people in the community were retired farmers, so it made sense that they would continue their occupation on a smaller scale in their golden years. It kept them active, and also produced a lot of fresh vegetables every year.
This couple had a son who was killed in tragic accident, leaving several children behind, most of which were girls, but there was one boy, and all these children lived with their grandparents next door, right on the other side of the garden. Some of my earliest memories as a kid was with these girls. They came over often, and were among my first friends. I would definitely say those early interactions with them had a profound lifelong effect on how I see girls.
I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life, and I just liked everything about her.
On one warm summer day, I remember being outside, when one, or maybe more than one, of these girls came over. They had another girl with them that I had never seen before. She was slightly younger than me and had light blonde hair. She sort of struck differently from other girls. I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life, and I just liked everything about her.
They didn’t stay too long this time. I think they were mainly introducing her to us. You see, these girl’s deceased dad had a brother, and he was getting married to this girl’s mother, so she was becoming a new member of their family. She wouldn’t be living next door, but the idea that I might see more of her made me really happy.
She stormed out of the house and looked very upset about something. She then walked around the side of the house and just stood there. It looked like she was pouting about something.
When they left, I continued about my day, but I was still very curious about this new girl. I remember I kept looking over toward her grandmother’s house, hoping she would come outside, and then I saw something odd happen. She stormed out of the house and looked very upset about something. She then walked around the side of the house and just stood there. It looked like she was pouting about something. Maybe it was my imagination, but I sort of got the impression that she wanted to come back over to my house, but they told her no.
That’s about all I remember of that day, but when school started back up she was there. She wasn’t in my grade, but I saw her on the playground everyday. She had made friends with a girl and they would walk around the playground together. I don’t remember all the interactions that lead up to it, but I somehow ended up talking to them one day.
We just walked around the playground holding hands, but I remember on one occasion she kissed me on the cheek. I remember it made me feel really happy inside.
We were all quite young, but we seemed to know about boyfriend and girlfriend relationships. It seems odd that romantic feelings would exist even in grade school, but there they were. I think she asked me if I wanted to be her boyfriend, and I said yes of course. It was all very innocent. We just walked around the playground holding hands, but I remember on one occasion she kissed me on the cheek. I remember it made me feel really happy inside.
I never wanted it to end, but eventually it did, and then I had to watch her walk around the playground holding another guy’s hand. I was young though, so there weren’t really any bad feelings about it, but I honestly never stopped liking her.
I never found the courage to make that ride though. I left the letter stuffed inside the handlebars of my old bike, never to be read by anyone.
I remember one day I thought up this brilliant idea. I would write her a love letter to tell her all the things I wanted to say to her. I would then get on my bicycle and pedal all the way out to her house in the country and hand deliver it. I never found the courage to make that ride though. I left the letter stuffed inside the handlebars of my old bike, never to be read by anyone.
We went though many grades together, and I watched her grow up, still always beautiful, still always positive and funny. I remember we would occasionally interact, but as I grew older, I became increasingly shyer, and I was especially shy around her.
I remember one day I ended up sitting on the bus beside her by accident. I was so nervous that I couldn’t even say anything. She didn’t say anything to me either. I loved that she was sitting with me, but it was very awkward. I thought she probably saw me as weird just sitting there perfectly quiet. If only she knew how I really felt.
I was a little heartbroken, but how could a shy guy like me ever get up the nerve to ask her out?
She eventually moved off to another town, met some guy, and got married. I don’t think she was even out of high school yet. I was a little heartbroken, but how could a shy guy like me ever get up the nerve to ask her out? I also wasn’t exactly the coolest guy around back then (That came later, 😉 ). She could do way better than me.
I had finally gained my nerve, and so I told her all about my crush on her. Turns out, she had a crush on me too.
Marriage pretty much ended any hope I had of being with her, and we eventually lost track of each other, but eventually we found each other again through the magic of social media. At some point, I began to notice that she seemed to like practically everything I posted. Curious about that, I messaged her and started a conversation. I had finally gained my nerve, and so I told her all about my crush on her. Turns out, she had a crush on me too.
We are still friends to this day, and I believe she is actually the only friend I stayed in contact with from childhood. She just started a new relationship. I hope it works out. The other day I sent her a text about one of my writing prompts. I will share our responses.
Hottie from across the garden.
Did you ever find out later that someone you had a crush on also had one on you? Did you ever tell someone that you had a crush on them? What’s your story? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe!
I remember there used to be a time when there wasn’t an internet, but I honestly don’t like to think about it. It was a time when everyone was expected to do everything in person or through paper. It was a time when people couldn’t work from home very easily. It was an era that predates blogging and many forms of self-publication. It was really not for me. I was born for the internet, and I spend a ridiculous amount of time there.
Some people like to blame the internet for everything, and there are some negative aspects, but if you really think about it, it has made the world a better place. Here are some things it has added.
Better connection to other people. Before the internet, it really wasn’t that easy to keep up with people you went to school with, or family that moved out of state. I remember my grandmother actually had to write to her cousins on paper and use snail mail. That definitely wasn’t optimal, though it did build anticipation and teach patience.
The internet allows for anonymity. Some people see this as an evil aspect of the internet, but I think it is absolutely critical. Societies and governments tend to silence and chastise people who criticize them out of fear that if enough people gather together, they will overthrow them. Without anonymity, those people would not be able to state the truth about their society or government.
It is more inclusive. The internet is pretty much everywhere now. Before it, you had to really work hard to connect with people outside your local community or state. The world has become much smaller and striking up a conversation with someone across the globe is trivial now.
The information age opened up tons of jobs that allow you to work from home, or anywhere there is an internet connection. You can literally work from the beach if you like. You can travel the world if you like, taking your work with you. You also don’t have to worry about that dreaded commute anymore. The only highway you have to be on is the information superhighway.
It provided an outlet for tons of creative minds. There are so many creators out there now. It’s almost becoming an expectation in our society. Without the ability to self-publish, you would have to get everything approved by a bureaucratic publishing system and advertising was pretty slow and expensive. Now, you just create an account on social media and start sharing.
Of course, the best part of having the internet is that you get to read this amazing blog. 🙂
So, what’s your favorite thing about the internet? Could you live without it? Tell me about it in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe.
I’ve thought about this for years, and have probably had lots of different opinions on it along the way.
I think I used to believe that being remembered by your community was very important. I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone. From time to time, the little church houses would fill with people attending funerals to pay their last respects. I remember older people saying things like, it was a good turnout at so-and-so’s funeral, he was liked by all. Back then, it seemed like that was the best you could accomplish, being loved by family and friends enough that they would show up to bid you farewell to worlds unknown, say nice things about you, shed a few tears, and then move on with the rest of their lives, patiently awaiting their own time to come.
I also thought about more grander things from time to time, like I would do something amazing that would change the world. Maybe I would become famous, or invent something, or become an author and write books. This was a pleasant thought, because it would mean that I affected the lives of way more than just those who crossed my path physically, and I might even be immortalized through publications or history, and go on to be known and remember by people in far distant generations. This would probably be the best legacy I could hope for, but much more difficult to attain.
So really, the legacy you leave to future generations, is just a memory of the person you were in life, what they saw in you, how you made them feel inside, the ideas you gave them, and the experiences you shared together, real or imagined. Considering that, I hope they remember me as a person who sought to understand, a person who wanted to experience deeper things and stronger emotions, a person who wanted to challenge barriers to life satisfaction and happiness and rethink outdated traditions, and a person who accepted others as they truly are on the inside.
Ken's Life 
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