The end of 2017. On my terms.

Somewhere, in the jungle of the WordPress posts, I stumbled upon one that lists some of the most popular pieces penned by that particular blogger in the past year. This really seemed like the perfect idea for me, because:

• between the preparations, celebrations and food/ alcohol fog, I do not seem to have enough time/ brain power to come up with ideas for blog posts that I would be passionate about. It is not to my liking to half-ass a post just because.
• I noticed how it’s annoying to keep clicking “older posts” at the bottom of the page when viewing someone’s blog. Yes, I am interested to see what your first post was about and how you evolved since then, but if you have a million entries, it might be time consuming for me to get to the bottom of things.
• it seems like everyone is doing the whole “My goals for 2018”, or “Reflections on 2017” thing. While I do find some of them wise, inspirational and/ or funny, this is not something I want to write. It would be too boring, or too sappy, I feel.

With that being said, below, you can find a list of ALL of my blog posts from this year with a word or two of what they are about. 2017 has been my first year of successfully consistent blogging. My one writing goal for 2018 is to keep being “Powered by WordPress” (i.e. keep on writing here).

If my WP journey continues, I hope to make this kind of post an annual tradition.

Some of you are already past midnight, but some of us are still before. Either way – HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thank you for all of your support.
See ya on the flip side.

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It seems to be a gift/ curse (choose the appropriate word) of mine to just keep writing instead of moving to the actual topic of the post. But here we are! Finally, the Floatinggold Compendium of 2017 (in chronological order)!

1. “In the beginning there was…” – a post from May 2017. My first. It serves as an introduction to this blog site. It is a pinned post, because it explains the reasoning behind my blog.
2. “Are kids different today than 20+ years ago?” – my first de facto post. Bullying. Suicide. Coping. Now vs. then (me).
3. “Those deadly avocados…” – a tongue-in-cheek piece on the dangers posed by avocados. And hot dogs.
4. “Free speech can be expensive.” – depicts my free speech struggles in the age of political correctness.
5. “We owe it to ourselves and others to learn and to teach.” – a controversial post in which I walk a fine line between giving helpful advice and being “bossy”. Not everyone wants to keep on learning.
6. “Change is ever-changing.” – takes a peek at my personal changes, and adjustments of me as a person, but it also explores other trends of change.
7. “An apology.” – Is it easy for you to apologize? When do you decide that you should apologize?
8. “Blue lives matter.” – because cops risk their lives every day to “Serve and Protect” us. They have been getting a bad rep and are adjusting their tactics.
9. “The Zombie Apocalypse is already here.” – We ARE the “walking dead”, hypnotized by our phones.
10. “It’s not always about you.” – It seems like humans are always trying to make themselves the center of attention, even if it is someone else’s show.
11. “You are who you are. Wait… are you?” – Trying to become the best versions of ourselves while trying to accept ourselves for who we are. Is that paradox possible to attain?
12. “To be inspired…” – an Independence Day post inspired by wounded warriors, who never gave up on life.
13. “Does free will equal freedom of choice?” – a dramatic reveal of the free will illusion.
14. “Equality. How real is it?” – this might cost me some followers, because it contains some triggers. However, if you are willing to have an objective (or subjective, but respectful) conversation on this topic, I welcome it.
15. “Death is funny like that.” – a look at the sick “entertainment” value of death in today’s world. One person’s tragedy, another person’s comical relief.
16. “Customer job – your job or your nightmare?” – a perspective from both ends of the phone/ register.
17. “She had nowhere to hide, so she committed suicide.” – a commentary on an increasing rate of suicide among young girls, and my attempt at a poem.
18. “Dating online. Online dating.” – a cautionary tale on how you need to be careful in the world of Tinder, Bumble and OK Cupid.
19. “Just another faceless member of the herd.” – We are no longer seen as individuals. It is our bar code that matters. *Beep* Once we are scanned, we are able to pass through.
20. “CW: A new series.” – If you ever wondered what “CW” means in some of my titles, check this sticky post out to see how this new chapter started. August 2017.
21. “Tu Morrow” – a play on words in the title. Take a look inside to see what it really means.
22. “CW: Percy the dog.” – inspired by a prompt. First real CW piece. A touching tale about a human and his best friend.
23. “See me for what I am…” – deals with the paradox of us trying to stand out, but also wanting to blend in. There is also a pinch of ego added for spice.
24. “CW: Recycled life.” – an artistic take on how life comes full circle.
25. “A block party.” – a social experiment that kicked off the small WordPress community here in Floatinggold land.
26. “Getting my priorities straight.” – a report from the eye of the hurricane, which puts things in perspective.
27. “From zero to hero.” – If you want to become a national hero, take a read to see how to go about it. If you do not, take a read anyway, to see how easy it can be.
28. “CW: An apple of my eye.” – a poem with a twist.
29. ‘Listen to me; not the words.” – my opinion on being PC, of people overanalyzing words instead of listening to their meaning, and a poem to go with it.
30. “CW: You were not supposed to let go.” – a separation of soul mates. A poem.
31. “Block party – conclusion” – the results of the experiment from position no. 25 on this list. A ton of fun!
32. “The silent killer of masculinity.” – Have you noticed men being less manly? Find out why. If you have not noticed, click to see what you might have overlooked.
33. “CW: Not my cat.” – most possibly my shortest post yet (55 words). A tale of how I met a cat.
34. “Promote & Grow Your Blog!” – Not my post. My only re-blog of 2017.
35. “CW: The key that does not unlock any doors.” – quite a silly piece. I wonder if you were able to read it all. It was challenging to write it.
36. “Boy Scouts to include girls.” – great news for equality. Have you heard? See inside for details.
37. “I need YOUR input.” – not a regular post per se. Here, I asked for you to share your reading routines. Feel free to add your votes, even now. My writing/ reading schedule is evolving, too.
38. “How to change someone’s (political) views.” – about opinion changing and influencing.
39. “CW: I found my way to you.” – I think it is inspirational, but you be the judge.
40. #MondayMotivation – kicked off a week-long hashtag series. A short commentary, a poem of mine and a song I found fitting for this post.
41. #TuesdayThoughts – 2nd day of the hashtag week. My thoughts with a song choice for the day.
42. #WednesdayWisdom – 3rd installment. A reflection on what our friends mean to us and what we mean to them. And of course, a song for the day.
43. #ThursdayThrowback – 4th piece to the puzzle of hastags. A bow towards my past. And a song to ponder.
44. #FridayFeeling – 5th and final piece. Mixed feelings on the beginning of a weekend combined with a song choice.
45. “Shop till you drop.” – the seasonal shopping is mostly over, but be sure to read so you can prepare for next year and share your experience from this year.
46. “CW: Writing. A recipe.” – I reveal to you how to write the perfect post.
47. “Our body is our identity.” – on the topic of medical advancements and our attachment to our looks.
48. “CW: Not your father.” – a story about how Frank told Emma that he was not her father.
49. “Uber failure.” – a cautionary tale regarding the beloved company that drives you around.
50. “The Liebster Award…” – my first nomination. Share my joy, sample some cookies and get to know me.
51. “My Liebster Award!” – a surprising second nomination during the same week.
52. “The Christmas tree.” – a post on tradition as well as new Holiday trends.
53. “CW challenge” – I was challenged to re-do the ending of a previous CW piece (position no. 47 on this list.) and this is what I cam up with. Very proud.
54. “Beware!” – another one of my “not really a post” posts. It served as an explanation regarding some issues I have been experiencing at the beginning of this month. I dare to say there were some funny inserts in there.
55. “In a far away land… The Christmas Island” – a post in which I shared a fascinating combination of Christmas and travelling.
56. “CW: Strengthening shampoo.” – a fun, light piece showing what else a strengthening shampoo can do.
57. “To any and all Aliens out there.” – is an article in which I fearfully marvel at the steps we take to communicate with life from outside of this planet.
58. “CW: Only in…” – a 99 word flash fiction piece.
59. “My early Christmas present.” – yet another Liebster related post. Seasonal greetings, my thoughts on the reward and nominations, as well as a mandatory Q&A.
60. “The end of 2017. On my terms.” – what you see is what you get. Spoiler alert: THIS POST.

Yes, this took me DAYS to compile. It was worth it, though.

Stay golden,

.

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