For a while there, this post was very, very unlikely to be written at all.
At one point in mid-2022, I gave serious thought to shuttering the blog and quitting.
I was working at a job that really needed most of my attention, and what little I had left had to go to Kindred Protective Arts.
The blog just... wasn't a priority, especially with all the struggle with writer's block I've had for over a year.
I literally drafted a "goodbye" post on a rare day that I had the time and energy to do so during that period. It's still sitting in my drafts, as a matter of fact. I even had a good name for it ("So Long, and Thanks For All the Sticks").
Well, it amused ME, anyway.
Glad I thought better of it, because circumstances changed, and I ended up being able to return to the blog.
I'm happy to be celebrating the 9 year anniversary of The Stick Chick Blog.
In nine years of blogging, I've published around 500 posts on THIS blog alone (remember, I migrated to a new server in October of 2018, and not all posts on the old Blogger site made it over here, so the real number of total posts is probably close to 800 or so), I've covered about every topic under the sun.
I'm admitting right now I may end up writing again on the same topic going forward. The list of posts is so darn long that I'm bound to repeat myself.
Hey, we can decide if my earlier take was better or worse than my current one, right?
Hey, maybe I've changed my mind on a few things. That's definitely the case on distance learning, for one, and there might be others.
2020's me to 2010's me.
One thing has not changed. I will stand in eternal enmity to any Sensei Scumbags out there - I stand by my statement that there are NO second chances and NO excuses, period.
Okay, that being said, I have also saved a TON of martial arts memes and jokes and I'm sure I'll end up recycling them in social media. So you'll probably see a few favorites that aren't new to you on Facebook and Instagram.
You'll laugh again and be GRATEFUL, dammit!
In any case, thanks for sticking with me over the years. I appreciate each of you who read, share, and comment on social media.
I really, really do.
I've made a ton of friends both online and in real life, and that's made sticking with this a happy side-effect of blathering about our weird little hobby to strangers on the internet.
Thanks, y'all.
Here's to nine years, and next year, let's celebrate a DECADE!