… It’s been a year. One whole year of LoudThoughtsVoicedOut… I still can’t believe it.
The first time I ever read a blog, I was 16. I was fascinated with the concept. The fact that people read what some stranger would write was so interesting to me. I didn’t want to start one then. Because “Seriously Poornima, let’s get realistic. Who’s going to read what you write? NOBODY ! That’s who. Don’t embarrass yourself like this. It’s pointless. Go read something.” And that side of my brain won the argument.
When I was in school, there was this particular friend who encouraged me. Kept telling me that I should write for a living. That writing is my calling. I’d like to thank her first for believing in the words I wrote when I didn’t think they mattered at all.
I gave in at 18. I started a blog. But what would I write about? My everyday life? Hmm. Let me think – I woke up. I ate breakfast. I hung out with friends. Dad and I talked about universities in Singapore. I ate again. I slept. – If that doesn’t make for an interesting blog, I don’t know what will. I don’t even remember what that blog’s name was.
A friend of mine writes blogs and I could relate to them so much. I enjoyed reading them and I always thought if I ever tried again, I want to write about something that people could relate to. The kind of things that would make the readers go “Oh yeah. I know that feeling.”
Last year, my best friend from university came to visit me. We went out for a ‘fun night out’. My idea of fun was never a party or a club and it became undeniably clear the night of November 8, 2013. So I just sat there and observed the difference between the crowd that had fun and the crowd that got wasted and used. It sparked a thought in me that I couldn’t push away.
It was 6 in the morning when I got home and even after a long nap, my head was stuck with how ridiculous the world of clubbing had gotten. How fun was no longer fun. The peer pressure to drink more. I still cannot get over it.
One thing I’ve learnt to do over the past few years is that when my mind refuses to shut up, I write about it. I didn’t have a journal. I just wrote on anything I found and it could get trashed and I didn’t care. I just needed an outlet, that was all. But this experience was different. That night – the most gorgeous view of my city, the best of friends and yet, instead of enjoying that, people were drowning themselves in alcohol. This deserved more than a scrappy paper. There surely had to be someone, somewhere that felt the same way.
Ladies and Gentleman, the most incredible blog of the season – Clubbing – A sober choice? Or a social need? I thought it would go off the roof. Everyone would love it and I was going to be blogging sensation. I had one visitor and one view. Hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day. But, I got excited and though it was supposed to be an anonymous blog, I had my closest friends read it.
I will be honest here – when I started this blog, I told myself, “If you do this for one year, and you have 10 followers at the end of the year, you’ve achieved something.” Today, there’s more than 400 of you reading what I write, giving me such positive comments and feedback and I can’t thank you enough.
I’ve said this over and over again – I was miserable when I started doing this. But this blog and the comments you all write has gotten me through so much. Like yesterday, when all I could do was cry, someone commented something nice and I smiled. So many of you have shared your struggles with me and you have given me hope, courage and wisdom. I mean, I’ve even learnt new words. Thank you.
This blog has gotten the man that said “You will not pick writing as a career” to say “There’s ways to make a writing career work.” (Totally you, Dad)
So, Thank you, Thank you and Thank you so so so much.
These are some of my favorite posts over the past year :
Fear | What are you afraid of?
Homosexuality – Love in its purest form : Illegal
Way Too Much Sex, Everywhere !
The Woman I Admire The Most | A Dedication
I am going to kick off my second year with a post I’ve been working on for months now. So until next week.. 🙂
P.S – THANK YOU ❤
Loud Thoughts Voiced Out 
It amazes me how much I can relate with what you write. In my corner of the world, it’s hard to find a kindred spirit. Reading your posts(the ones I’ve managed to read thus far), makes me feel like I am not totally insane(although insanity is pretty relative). So hey, well done!
This is one of the things I’ve grown to love about blogging – I’ve realized that there could be someone half way across the world with a completely different life and yet, they can relate to what I’m saying. It amuses me every time. 🙂 Thank you 😀
Congrats Poornima…can’t wait to read more from your end 🙂
And good luck for a year ahead
Aarya ! 😀 Hope your exams are treating you well. Thank you so much 🙂
Keep writing, keep believing in yourself and I will keep reading. I so enjoy your work and look forward to seeing what the next year will hold.
I wish I had listened to my friend who had asked me to blog when I was 18. Life would have turned out a whole lot different. But, no regrets at all. It worked out great anyway. Here’s my struggle with not pursuing my passion,
http://tokillamimingbird.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/life-is-too-short-to-not-write/
Kudos to you. All the best and I look forward to reading more of your thoughts. Have a great new year!
I like how your mind works! \m/
Really love this post specifically! Can relate to pretty much every word! It took me meeting a stranger at a bar to encourage me to write his words exactly “I don’t know why your not writing about this, you think your life in average or boring, its not.. its actually pretty inspiring” So I guess we all need a little push here and there to get us going 🙂
Congratulations to you! I’m very impressed! I always enjoy reading what you have to say. What’s the expression? “You have a way with words.” I think your success has a lot to do with your honesty. You let readers into your thoughts and feelings. Well done! Can’t wait for your next post.