New Year's Revolution

Faye and Rich Lewis, Whitey's Bar, Minneapolis, 2012

A year, one revolution in the earth’s orbit,

The world is always changing, yet it also remains the same.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Heaven help us all if we were doomed to live our lives in an eternal repeat, ala the film Groundhog Day.

That side of the internet which consists of original, self-published material is not immune from the ravages of time. Blogs, special interest sites, even the occasional inspired twitterer have each in their own way managed to lift my spirits.

Many of them have “closed up shop” or just drifted away. That has always been the case (in this still very young medium) but it seems that the close of 2012 has seen more than its share of casualties: Maria, ECS, Darien, Things, Monday Note, have all seemed to come to an end. They might come back some day, in another form perhaps—it’s perfectly OK to leave the sur-reality of the internet—it’s not as important as living one's life to the fullest.

But there are new voices, I’ve found several new Icelandic sources this year, with Larissa's Ð and Þ (eth & thorn) leading the way. Gemma's Seattle based blog has shown promise as well in covering the Icelandic scene. Pascal Pinon, those musical twins from Iceland, have developed their self-titled tumblr into a very effective showcase for their music and art; it is a model for how to create an entertaining and original showcase which is more than just a bunch of recycled promos.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Auður Ösp's I Heart Reykjavík, a great example of a tourism blog. She’s started a newsletter as well, I suspect she will continue in her tradition of lively writing (I’ve been following her in one form or another for nearly nine years!) Check out her current post. She has always inspired me with her wonderful outlook on life, both real and virtual.

And so, in light of all this rambling, I’ll commit myself to another year of FITK. If that sounds as if I’m being sent to a mental institution the similarity is no accident. More randomness in 2013, for sure, but I will definitely finish the “serial fiction.” I’ve been dreaming the new chapters—but sometimes it takes more than one restless night...


Note: The picture at the top doesn’t have much to do with the post beneath- it’s just two of my favorite people, doing what they enjoy. Doing what you enjoy? I guess that is the theme of this post, after all!