HubPages Birthday: One Year and Still Going Strong!

Oh my goodness, how self-serving! Don’t you just hate those people who demand recognition on their anniversaries? Well, now you can include me on your hate list! LOL

Yes, it’s been one year. What started off as a grand experiment, and quite frankly, an attempt to get Bev off of my back, has now morphed into a daily ritual that I cherish. This is just another example of me not knowing what is good for me, because quite frankly, I did not want to join HubPages.

No, I wanted nothing to do with HubPages. I wanted nothing to do with any writer’s site. Why would I want to put my writing out there for the public to see? Why would I want to open myself up to criticism? I just wanted to be a suffering recluse of a writer, alone in his writing studio, satisfying himself and never having the guts to go public.

Dammit, Bev, now look what you have gone and done!

It turns out, of course, that Bev was absolutely correct in pushing me into HubPages. Come to think of it, she has an annoying habit of being correct.

It turns out, of course, that HubPages was exactly what I needed to grow as a writer. I needed to find the courage to share my writing with other writers; who better to judge whether I had “game” than others who are in the same field?

HubPages was exactly the forum I needed to practice my craft, and it provided me with enough of a challenge so that I could improve and flourish.

There are things I do not like about HubPages; I would be a liar if I said differently. However, I knew the rules going in, and HP has been consistent in their platform and in upholding those rules. If I don’t like the rules I don’t have to be here. HubPages survived without me before January, 2012, and they will survive and flourish long after I am gone. So to complain about HP is foolish; nobody is forcing me to be here, and if I am going to be a member of this site then I need to follow the rules and enjoy the journey.

I have no idea why the rest of you are on HubPages. Many are here for the passive income; many are here to perfect their craft, and some are here just to write for the sheer love of writing.

I have no idea why you are here or why you remain. I have no idea what gifts you receive from being here, but I can tell you with all certainty that the biggest gift I have received is the meeting of so many quality human beings.

I never saw it coming. Two weeks into my stay here I had very little to show for it, and I seriously questioned whether I would remain after that first month. Then something magical happened. I wrote a Hub…. A Letter To My Birth Mother Who I Never Knew….and I was overwhelmed with heartfelt messages from complete strangers who welcomed me and have continued to welcome me one year later.

The rest of this ride has been magical. I have friends….and yes, I said friends…from around the globe. There are people I have never met who know all about me, and genuinely care about me, and they are, incredibly, close friends.

I have had people ask me how do I do it; how do I get so many to follow me, and how do I get so many comments? There is no secret. I have made an effort to get to know Hubbers on a personal level. I have reached into the internet and I have found a way to touch them on a human level.

After all, that is all we are….human beings! Strip away the b.s. and toss aside the differences, and we are all just humans trying to make human connections.

So that is my one year message to you. If you are here just to make money…LOL…good luck!

However, if you are here to become part of a magnificent writing community, then open yourself up and actually become part of that community.

I am not going to attempt to reach the suggested 1,500 word level with this Hub. I am simply here to say thank you! Thank you to the over 1,200 followers, and thank you for the 30,000 comments.

Most importantly, though, thank you for your friendship. The numbers are just so much math; over time we all accumulate numbers. What really warms my heart are the connections I have made with so many of you. In a world that seems, at times, to be insulated and uncaring, I have found people in this community who genuinely care. I hope you all know how much you mean to me.

I will not name names today. I simply say “thank you” to you all. One year later and I am a very satisfied member of the HubPages Community. I hope you feel that I have given to you as much as you have given to me.

I have mentioned before that I need to change my priorities a bit this coming year. I will not be writing as many Hubs in 2013. I met my own personal challenge of 365 Hubs in 365 days, so now I need to turn my attention to other fish that need to be fried. That in no way means I am leaving HubPages; it simply means I won’t be writing quite so many Hubs as before.

Blessings and love to each and every one of you, and now let’s make 2013 the best year yet!

2013 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)