Blog Construction is Like Riding a Bike

Blog Construction is Like Riding a Bike

I can remember when I was a small child trying in vain to ride a bicycle. My mother would hopefully tell me that as soon as I was able to ride it once, I would always be able to.

Riding a bicycle was seemed to me like it would be some glory moment that would only come at the end of a long struggle.

It was a long struggle. I thought about riding my bike all day at school, and as soon as I would arrive home I would jump right into the seat. I fell down, I crashed, I hurt myself, but I kept trying. My parents supported me in this endeavor and encouraged my every attempt. They picked me up off the ground, tended to my wounds, and told me that I would get it next time.

And I truly believed that I could do it the next time, as I would crash again.

Eventually, this next time came. I remember riding my bicycle for the first time by myself.

“Mom, are you still holding on to the seat!?!”

“No! You are riding on your own!”

I tried hard and I did it.
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Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
in Istanbul, Turkey- February 28, 2009
Travelogue — Travel Photos — Travel Guide
All Travelogue Entries
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Making this website and blog is a similar venture. When I first began I knew nothing about computers. I did not even know how to make a new folder in My Documents on Windows. I was lost, and even the very simple Blogger system confused me.

I would look at every one else’s websites and blogs and realize that they knew what they were doing, and I knew nothing.

So I worked hard. I tried, I fell down, and, luckily, I had a few friends who would pick me back up, nurse my wounds, and give me encouragement that I would get it the next time. I was again waiting for the glorious “next time” moment when I would realize that I was riding all by myself.

So I kept working, ever trying to get an impression of how these websites, blogs, and the internet worked. I was looking for a map. As time went by my pages became better and better, I was learning a little more everyday. Again, I was trying to get to some glory moment that would only come at the end of a long struggle. I was trying to get to the point where the storm would break and the seas would be calm.

These past few days I made some changes to my travelogue and homepage. Around half way through making the changes, I realized something: I was not stressed out, everything seemed easy, and all was working out. I would decide that I wanted to make a change, do a quick search on the internet to find out how to do it, get the instructions, and then do it. It was all very simple.

The storm broke. I was riding my bike on my own.

My mother is no longer holding on to the seat. I have an impression of how this all comes together; I have a knowledge base that I can work from. I still know very little, but I now have my sea-legs and feel as if I can get through any storm.

Changes made yesterday
1. I deactivated the no-follow links in the comment forms, so the search bots will now follow all active links (though I moderate the comments and don’t publish spam).

2. I included a Favicon to the internet browser tab. I need to get a different image though because the one I am using has too much detail and its resolution is squished.

3. Learned how to include sound files on blog.

I am not yet ready for the BMX trials, I know, I am just happy to be riding on the kiddi-track. I am getting somewhere. I am glad that I was raised by parents who would never let me give up.

Related Pages:
The Rites of Travel Website Construction
Learning Website Construction
Under the wing of the HoboTraveler
The trauma of building a website

Blog Construction is Like Riding a Bike