One year ago today

Sweet cracker sandwich, "Eslocura's Asylum" is one year old today! Pretty fucking amazing if you ask me or any of the hundreds few people who read this blog. So what has the past blogging year been like you ask? Well let me tell ya ...

It all started out about me, and it's still all about me. I have shared all sorts of stuff, written about my heartache, my insomnia, stupid people, animals/pets, Puerto Rico, family, friends, fruit, and my childhood. I have done a whole bunch of memes. I have cursed a whole fucking bunch, and been proud of it. I have met my goal of not censoring myself as various friends and family became readers. (this I am even more proud of then the fucking swearing thing). I've touched upon many topics and I've written some filler stuff while my "muse" took a vacation. Blogging has been a fun adventure, a place to vent and be creative.

The best part of blogging: all of you. All the little huckleberries who take the time to read the "Asylum", who leave such encouraging, witty and smart comments. Thank you! Thanks for adding some sanity, thanks for adding more craziness, thanks for making me laugh. Thank you to my family and friends, who keep reading and coming back for more. Thank you to my fellow bloggers. Each one of you has in some way become part of the Asylum. I am very grateful. (now is a good time to lift your champagne glass) Here's to "EsLocura's Asylum", all hail the possibilities of the next twelve months!

Exposure

I read a lot of blogs. I try and hit all my favorites at least once a day. (I will be adding my favorites links in the near future, so you too can feel the bliss). Reading blogs is addictive. Some blogs are lifelines that keep me from extended stays in a padded cell here at the asylum. The common thread of late is sharing past experiences, confessions, reasons for blogging and the roles we play. Do all these things connect in our everyday lives or just in the blogosphere? Why do I blog? What do I share? After about 50 posts, is this what I expected? How much do I expose myself? Is there a blog me, and a "real world" me? Do the two ever meet up at the Embassy Suites for happy hour?

Blogging started out as a creative outlet to escape from my woes. It has turned into a creative outlet that inspires me, despite my woes. The blogosphere is my personal therapist, advisor and all around friend. The friend who listens and acts interested, even when I have nothing of importance to say. Sometimes it's cathartic to write about the evil ways of the universe, to recall childhood events, and to rant about things that offend me. Sometimes it's just crazy fun.

My topics all bare some aspect of me. Some with embellishment, other's not. I swear a lot, (as I do in the "real world") never worrying about the fact that friends and relatives read this blog and may find "fuck" offensive. I work at not letting "who" might be reading, change what I might be writing. It would defeat the whole "freedom to be me" thing. It's my blog, it's all about me. Read me and love me, I always say. (OK, I never say that but I do hope it's what you do.)

Are we one person at work, another at home, and yet another in the blogoshpere? Is that what we are suppose to do? You can't just show up to work naked or can you? Different roles, same person? We all have many roles to play but the essence of who we truly are permeates all of them. Here on this written page, it's my essence. My ups and downs, my world, my rant about life.

I never worry about what I might expose. (I enjoying being naked). I blog for the freedom to be me. For the freedom to write what I want, how I want, when I want. The roles I may have to play the rest of the time in the "real world" have only been enhanced by the "locura" that gets to completely reveal herself at the asylum ... always on her own terms.