The Big Five-Oh

Before you congratulate me on my birthday, let me assure you, I passed that particular milestone a very long time ago. This isn't about that.

“So what's this about?” I'm glad you asked!

This should have been my 50th published story on Vocal.

I was looking forward to writing something special or profound for number fifty. It might seem a very small thing to many of you, but 43 of the 49 I had chalked up were written in the past 3 months, after a very long pause, starting in February of 2022. For me, it's not quite as insignificant as it sounds.

So, getting back on track here, I was poised to write something great. Then, an idea came to me for the Microfiction challenge and I wrote and published it. Oops! So, here I am, writing number 51.

In retrospect, I think it's fitting that the milestone article wasn't a monumental undertaking or an overblown ego trip, for several reasons. (I'm not saying I don't have an ego. Like everyone else, I enjoy the responses when a piece clicks with the readers.)

I'm actually a pretty low-key person. I'm also not here on Vocal to prove myself. I earn money with my writing every day, and if you do business or shop online, there's a good chance you've read my stuff. You may even have found some of it credited to me. (By the way, if you think successful content writing is easy or doesn't require creativity, please, try it.) There's also a chance you've read books edited by me. So, here's low-key me, “blowing my own horn,” but the point is, I'm confident enough in my writing skills. I'm not here to validate them.

I'm still on Vocal because it's good for the writer inside me. More accurately, the creators on Vocal are good for him. I really do love reading what you write and I make time to read every day, even if I don't have time to write for myself that day. I read each and every story by those I subscribe to and I read the Top Stories, and those often add new names to my “subscribed” list. Challenge picks? Yes, I read them all. I comment. I honestly enjoy supporting other Creatives.

Now, you should know that I make some allowances when I read. If you're pushing an agenda, I'll probably read the piece anyway. I'm interested in your views, whether I agree with them or not. It gives me insight, and heck, I might even find some common ground. If I comment, I won't mention any of the points we don't agree on.

I will eventually be writing some material that I know will contain trigger points for some of my friends, especially when I continue with my Community series. I hope you'll return the courtesy I've outlined above. It's a little thing I like to call “mutual respect.” It's the same principle that keeps me from using terms like “woke.” On the other hand, if you're the kind of person that can take a joke, go ahead and call me “Boomer” and I'll find a label for you, too. (I hate labels, but I enjoy kidding around. I know a couple of Gen X'ers who might vouch for that.)

I'm going to leave that right there. I'll bear no grudge against anyone who unsubscribes.

So, Vocal is a community full of “my peeps” (I can't believe I just typed that.) and that's what keeps me here. There's another side to the platform that's a little more difficult for me to deal with, and that feeling is mutual. I've had some exchanges with the support team that were less than pleasant for both sides. I'm not the kind of person to use rude speech in those exchanges, but I do know how to get my point across. When it comes to customer support, I deliver it in my business and I expect the same. I also think that it's important to follow up on promises.

I don't think you'll be seeing my face in the “Creators We're Loving” section. I can understand that. After all, the people behind the scenes on the platform are people, too. I'm a crotchety old fart and probably too outspoken much of the time.

I manage to snag a Top Story now and then, but I think I can pretty much rest assured that I won't place in a challenge. That's okay.

I don't know if you'll see less content from me in the near future. I may stretch out on Medium again and see what happens. Sooner or later, I need to finish my books, too. What I do know is that I'm not going anywhere, at least for now. (Are you listening, Vocal?) I'll continue to submit to the challenges that interest me. It's good exercise, and I guess you just never know.

I do know that I'll continue to read what my friends write. It's literally the highlight of my day. I'll also continue to refer to you as my friends, regardless of any differences we may have.

Lastly, if this sounds like I'm just having myself a good whine, I'm okay with that assessment, too. I'm going to stop whining now and see how long it takes for a 50-story bonus to show up. My sincere thanks to all of you who have been so supportive.

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Author's Note: As I was writing this, I was awarded a Top Story for a Microfiction piece, and read the winner's list that came in for a challenge. My name wasn't on it. Go figure.

Author's Note, the Sequel: I want to offer a sincere, "Thank you!" to the writer whose profile I've linked to below, for the reminder to provide a link to the first story of the series I mentioned in this article. Read her stories. You won't regret it:

Author's Note III, The Final(?) Chapter: I need to acknowledge one more writer, because he deserves recognition much more than me. The man has almost 1,300 published stories and shares some of the most valuable information on poetry & music I've found anywhere: