Last Sunday evening I published my latest post, The Ten Other Greatest Inventions of All Time. Early Monday afternoon, I came home after work and checked my email for any notices from WordPress about likes or comments about it. There’s something very gratifying about checking your email and seeing a message from WordPress saying “Horridzittyface liked your post”, or “Hideousstalkerchick is now following your blog.” There was a comment or two, no more or less than usual, and so I decided to visit my blog to answer them and to see how many views I’d had so far.
Before I had the chance, the most curious thing happened: my incoming email messages began to propagate like hot, bothered bunnies before my very eyes; first ten, then thirty-four, then fifty-six in a matter of seconds. Oh, lovely, I thought. Satan the computer hacker has deemed my email account worthy of a visit. As it turned out, all of them were notices from WordPress. Soon there were hundreds of them. I went to my blog and checked on my site statistics; views for the day are shown in bar graph form. Monday’s bar was rising up like (get your mind out of the gutter) a bump on Wile E. Coyote’s head (see? this is a family friendly blog). I surmised, brilliantly, that something was afoot (because I looked down and saw a shoe on it. Then I also figured something big was happening on my blog); I went to WordPress’ home page, and there it was: a recent post, Cat’s in the Cradle, there for the whole world to see. I was Freshly Pressed!
I don’t know how it happened (I do know it wasn’t anything I did), or why they picked that particular post. Almost everything I write is intended to be humorous (some will argue there is often a loss in translation); Cat’s in the Cradle is about my relationship with my father, there is nothing funny about it and it’s not one I would have chosen for such a wide audience. Beggars can’t be choosers, however, so I’m not complaining, but evidently they can be chosen, and I’m very grateful for that.
On that first day I had over twenty-eight hundred views and over thirty-two hundred the next. By the time Cat’s in the Cradle had dropped off Freshly Pressed and I had returned to the relative obscurity to which I’m accustomed (and likely deserve), my blog had almost ten thousand views in five days. Sadly, no one with any money has asked me to become the next David Sedaris or Bill Bryson – two of my favorites – but I have quadrupled my followers and, even more gratifying for me, people other than the early faithful have been reading my other posts.
In closing, I must say thank you to WordPress; Freshly Pressed was a rush for me and I hope it happens again some time. Until then, I’ll happily go on writing to the very few. To the faithful, thank you so much for being just that. I write for myself first, but I’m thinking of many of you when I mention certain things. In my mind’s eye, I can see your faces when you laugh; it is pleasing to me (most of the time – some of you screech like a barn owl or have hideous mugs when you laugh) and so I find myself writing for you as well. As for the new followers, I hope you stick around; the heartfelt, mushy posts are really hard to squeeze from a heart as hard and cold as mine, so they don’t happen very often. I hope you find enough here to keep you interested and, if it hasn’t happened to you already, that there’s a Freshly Pressed in your future as well.
thestrugglershandbook 
Always like to hear the play by play. Sorry about the secret publishing giant not discovering you…perhaps in your next Freshly Pressed 😉
Oh, well. I’d probably start partying and shooting up heroin or something. It’s just as well. Thanks, though, and I enjoy reading your blog!
I’m sticking around. I know the feeling as I’d been Freshly Pressed.
See, you draw really well, which makes me hope there’s some standard that has to be met in order to be FP’d. That would make me feel better about it. Thanks for sticking around!
Awesome Richard. Keep on writin’…
love ya, your seester-in-law
Thanks, Chris. Gramma says you’re feeling better; yay for you!
Great post! Thank you for sharing!
That’s exactly how I imagined being Freshly Pressed would feel like.
Congratulations! I’m off to read more of your posts because I love your writing style.
…Totally following your blog… 🙂
Thanks. It was fun while it lasted! And I know I said this before, but…Best. Gravitar. Ever.
I’m relatively new to this computer / blogging business and so can still get ‘taken’ by anything ‘bright and shiny’ – so much to read and seeeee – but be that as it may, I learn fast and I have to tell you that your writing has a quality to it that is a stark notch above most of what I have discovered out there. Better yet the ‘writing for yourself’ factor eminates through, but then I am told that, that is the key to wonderful blogging. You seem to have that department all wrapped up. Congrats on FP. Am anticipating many wonderful reads ahead….no pressure!
That is such a nice thing to say.Thank you! As for the pressure, I’m fairly dense; it wouldn’t have occurred to me that I should be feeling any. Aaaah!! Thanks for that too!
Well I found you through freshly pressed and I think I’ll stick around, you have a way with words… you make them enjoyable to read! 😉
Thank you. Very nice of you to say. And your baby is adorable.
Congratulations on your Freshly Pressed crowning! I can only hope to find myself in such shoes some day.
It was fun while it lasted. What is that picture? Trap door spider? It’s cool looking and creepy at the same time. Sorry about your families; good for you escaping! I’ll visit your blog soon.
It is an extreme close-up of a hole bored into a foundation wall of a dilapidated church ruins nearby. Very haunting, yet so cool. Thanks for contacting!
That is cool. And I never would have guessed.
Haha! Now you make me laugh again 😀 There’s no reason why others won’t follow your blog Rich! It’s either saying YES to a worthy laughter time or YES to a boring net-surfing day! God bless 😀
I’m glad I made you laugh. I really enjoy your blog as well. Keep up the good work – HIS good work!
Great thoughts. I have not been fortunate enough to hit that big, yet, I say that hopefully. Love the flow of your writing. And I was excited the day I had 80 hits with three comments. Ha!
I was happy when that happened too, and I’m sure I will be again soon. Thank you for the compliment; it really means so much!
I like your humor… I had some crazy childhood struggles, and have always used humor as a way out of the darkness. Your posts are very relate-able. Glad you were freshly pressed. Now, when is it my turn? LOL
Beats me. I don’t know how it got to be mine. Soon for you, I hope!
Always look forward to reading your posts, Richard….you have a real gift! And you sure are FUNNY!! But
can’t resist adding…now you can see why we warned our daughter about marrying you!!! haha. But have to admit…it’s impossible not to love you….you’re one special son-in-law!!
Josie
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