When I heard the news a couple of days ago that Merriam-Webster had named "blog" the number one new word of 2004, I vowed that I would be the only blogger on the planet not to post about it. But, everywhere I turn, I see my fellow bloggers spreading the word as they reflect with a measure of pride around their own contributions to the exploding blog phenomenon. So, I guess this immovable object was overwhelmed by an irresistible force.
Why didn't I want to post about it? Well, the Merriam-Webster recognition (is that the right word to use?) marks an irrevocable shift of blogs into the mainstream. Although I have only been blogging seriously for a little more than a year, I kind of liked the idea that I was doing something just a little bit out there. Sure, I know that there are literally millions of blogs on the Web already and that the blogosphere is growing larger with each passing day. But it's one thing to know that others are doing what you're doing (not to mention much more of it and much better), and it is something else to let others who aren't a part of the group in on "the secret." (It's pretty early in the morning, so I don't know if I am making any sense at all.)
I really enjoy being a blogger, and I am glad that blogs are receiving more recognition and are having a greater impact on our world. Still, there is a part of me that wishes we could go back a few years when blogs were fresh and new and definitely not in the dictionary. But we can't, and so I'll just get over it and continue to offer my contributions to the conversation.