The Little World

When I started writing weblog columns for the camera shop where I worked, I had no idea that it was going to be more than a flash in the pan – a management whim that would come and go as fast as a wink. Other ideas had done just that. But in the end I note that I have written for them since 2009 – some 3200+ daily posts. Every one of them accompanied by an illustration or photograph and most of them taken by me. Yikes.

Likewise, my private humour and philosophy column has now been established since 2013 and contains up to 2600 mini-essays. The personal photographic column’s since 2014 and totals 2049. The page you’re on now started in 2018 and has hit 866 daily posts. I think we can say the more I write, the more I write.

I’m drawn to this conclusion when I look at the draft list for The Little World. You might call it a magazine of upcoming posts or a morgue of thoughts. Whichever, it has just ticked over to 162 and I am wondering whether I need a new kit, a beer, or an intervention…

The biggest surprise for me has been the fact that ever-wider vistas open up a soon as you complete one kit. I am looking at a 32-kit stash plus figures. That’s very modest in comparison to some treasure troves, but I have a plan the build every single one of the models in it and each will generate at least three posts – often more. I think you could say and average of 4 posts per model, taking into account the long Special Hobby bomber builds or the short Hobby Boss fighter plane ventures.

That amounts to at least 128 more posts if I never set foot in a hobby store again. Or a total of 265+ more days.

At this point I need to think – my commercial effort is taken care of now in WordPress by the IT department of the camera shop. I shoot and write – they pay. That’s all as it should be. But my other three columns are spread out in three separate pages. Is it time to go out and buy a proper paid-for theme from WordPress and make a magazine that incorporates all divisions on one daily page. Something that lets you modellers see the other columns and become fascinated or outraged as you please.

It would not cost the Earth to do this – the themes that you pay for chew up less than $ 200 a year. And it would have the priceless advantage for you readers in that you would not have to endure advertisements for ear-wax removers, political parties, or time-share accomodation in Haiti. I do not seek to have you pay money to me and I am not going to go badger some advertiser to contribute – these columns are written for the pure pleasure of the thing . They have already paid me handsomely in mental health.

So – now a question for the readers. Would you like this to happen? Shall I shift the three virtual desks into one office? Would a simpler address help you to find your daily dose of me more easily? Write youre vote in a comment and I’ll read it.

Note: this all turns about the ability of the WordPress mechanism to allow readers of a new combined daily page to easily access the years of former writing. I still have people reading older material and I would not like to have it disappear. I must contact a WordPress expert and get their advice.