Catholic Skywalker Blog 10-Year Anniversary

 

(5/31/12: Feast of the Visitation)

Ten years ago today I started this blog.

Ten years.

To be honest, I'm a bit shocked that I am writing these words.

A little over ten years ago, I won an online essay contest.  Getting that kind of external validation made me think that I may have something of value to contribute.

Of course, even back then, blogs were becoming less and less popular.  But I found that the format worked out very well for me.  Each post required more thought than sending a tweet or status update.  The format is formal, but not too formal.

Before I write anything else, I want to first say how grateful I am to you for reading this blog.  Over the years, hearing from you and receiving your feedback have motivated me to keep going.  Sometimes friends are family would make small mention of something I wrote.  Sometimes, someone online would comment or share.  Each one of those generous acts of interaction have meant a great deal to me.  So please accept my humble thanks.

Much has happened in the last ten years.  Since beginning this blog:

-my mother and both of my remaining grandparents passed away (God rest their souls)

-my father-in-law passed away (God rest his soul)

-my wife and I weathered some rough employment situations

-I broke my back and have surgery 4 times.

-I became a godfather

-I was asked to write for NewEvangelizers.Com

-I've produced seven more movies

-I've written, directed, and produced two plays and one musical.

-I'm just about to get a second Master's Degree

All of this occurring during the tumultuous times we've lived through like COVID.

Through it all, I tried to write here regularly.  And now after ten years, I've produced:

-313 Film Reviews

-116 Essays

-227 New Evangelizers Articles

-10 Years of the Best and Worst of Movies, TV, and Comics.

-a total of 2,349 posts.

Together we raised money for charity.  We've prayed together.  And hopefully we also laughed together.

I do not know what the future has in store for this blog.  It has been an significant part of my life for an equally significant amount of my life.  And while tastes change and evolve over time, I pray that nothing I've written in the past would cause consternation or embarrassment to anyone.

For the next month, I will be posting some of "The Best of Catholic Skywalker."  Some of these will be my most viewed posts.  Others will be ones on which I received the most positive feedback.  Others will be things that are simply special to me.  

Forgive me looking back on this with a nostalgic eye.  But I think back on things written here with fondness.

Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living.  I don't think he intended that to take the form of a blog about pop culture and Catholicism.  But even in looking at these elements of art and entertainment, we can find a window into the good, the true, and the beautiful.  By forcing myself to put my thoughts and feelings into words, I've been forced to examine how I see the world.  And I think I see the world a little more clearly.

I want to thank my long-suffering wife who has been kind enough to give me the time to write so many things.

And above all, I want to thank Our Lord.  In the grand scheme of things, I'm sure that my writings here will not have the biggest impact on the world.  But if in even the smallest way, this blog has brought any joy or insight to your life, then I am very grateful to Him for that.

God bless you all!

Catholic Skywalker - 2022