“Papa K… You Made It” – The Blogosphere

Make sure and read to the very end of this post… I’m giving away something PRETTY COOL!!!

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It just occurred to me the other day to look back and check how long I’ve been keeping this blog alive. 

It was October 16th, 2009 when I birthed “Hands To War” into existence with post number one.  In that post I welcomed every transferring themselves from my last blog: “Virtual Hugs“, to my new, more appropriately named blog.  Quickly following that post was about a story I read regarding how Ted Williams’ frozen head had been used for batting practice at the cryogenics lab where it’s kept.

Everything went downhill from there.

I’m kidding.

I can’t begin to explain to you after writing 90 posts on Virtual Hugs and 188 on Hands To War how incredibly awesome I feel.

I never used to write.  I never used to read.  I found them both about as enjoyable as having a doctor shove his finger up my butt (that’s not enjoyable BTW).  Now… I do both (read and write… not get fingers stuck up my butt)!!  I feel as though I happened upon a wealth of previously undiscovered knowledge!

188 posts ago, when I opened the doors to my blog home, I honestly didn’t know to even think about what might become of my career as a blogger.  My blog can’t make homemade ice cream, it hasn’t me famous yet and it doesn’t have boobs as awesome as Bunny’s. 

Three strikes right?

Wrong.

For everything negative that blogging does (like when it erased THIS very post from its memory banks leaving me with nothing and having to type it all over again)… it has an equally rewarding effect.

It has given me the opportunity to showcase my writing on several different blogs specializing in things from baseball to relationships to parenting techniques.

I have made friends whom I only know through the still photos they post on their own blogs or the comments they’ve made on mine.  Mandal, Shelle, Keith, SeattleDad, MamaMidwife, Andrea and Tony are just a few that come to mind.

I’ve received an email from Kim Kardashian on how much she loves my blog.

I’ve effectively lived through depression, anxiety and OCD by chronicling my struggles with them on this blog and on Virtual Hugs.

I’ve been able to find this outlet to explode my creativity all over the internet… even if a microcosm of the planet ever sees it then I still feel like I’ll be remembered for something.

I’ve written about things that I’ve been told actually help people get through whatever they’re going through.  Whether I said something deeply intriguing, spiritual or just plain stupid it hits someone where it makes sense to them!!

I’ve found it all to be rewarding and I thank you, the reader, for reading.  Keep it up!!  Tell your friends.  Tell your neighbors, your husbands, your wives, your poker buddies, your Chihuahua, your Facebook friends, that dwarf that lives under the foundation of your house or even old Mrs. Cratchett who tries to shoot you with her crossbow every time you walk by her house.

After all of this, you may have noticed a slight change in my blog title.  While “Hands To War” will still remain in the URL, I’ve changed the name of this blog to “Who Is Papa K”.  I ask this question in all seriousness because I don’t even know who I am!  Also, I’m in a different place than where I was when I started Hands To War.  When I started Hands To War as the successor to Virtual Hugs it was to release all the garbage I had dwelling in my soul, mind and body.  Sometimes writing and seeing the words on the screen makes everything more real.  I blogged because I almost had to in order to survive!  I wrote about my depression, about my growing spirituality and about anything that was really affecting me in my life at that time.

It’s not that way anymore.

I don’t struggle with my OCD, depression and anxiety like I used to.  I’m also not naïve enough to think that I won’t ever again… I’m just extremely happy to be at the place I’m at right now.

So, I write about other things.  I not only write about my spiritual walk and my struggles with OCD, depression and anxiety… but I also about baseball or parenting or DLG or Bunny or things that piss me off or tattoos or anything I damn well please really.

Thus the name change.

Hands To War is a spiritual reference and while I fully intend to write about spirituality when I want… I also don’t want to pigeon-hole myself.  Themed blogs are great… but that’s not my gig.

“Who Is Papa K” is exactly what it says: “Who” am I, “what” do I write about, “when” do I post, “where” do I live so you can stalk me like the crazy stalker you are and “why” must I mention Kim Kardashian so many times?

Nobody knows really.  Not even me.  I want to write about whatever I damn well please and have the title of my blog indicate that.

So… Who IS Papa K?

I don’t know.  Keep readin’ and find out!

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In celebration of the new blog name I’m going to give a lucky reader the biggest prize I’ve given away to date.  If it’s something you personally won’t be able to benefit from you could use this as a Christmas (it’s coming before you know it) gift to a younger member of your friends or family.

Several weeks ago, I gave away a Mr. Men book called, “Mr. Bump”.  Upon further inspection at my local bookshop, I located an EIGHT-PACK collection of some classic Mr. Men books.

DLG has this same collection and she LOVES it.

Included in this eight-pack are Mr. Bounce, Mr. Bump, Mr. Chatterbox, Mr. Grumpy, Mr. Happy, Mr. Mischief, Mr. Small and Mr. Strong.

Seriously folks, this is an awesome giveaway.  Just to reiterate: I’m giving you EIGHT books.

Not one.

Eight.

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me where you live, i.e. Colorado, Wisconsin, Australia, Somalia, Antartica, etc.  DON’T send me your personal address… I’ll ask for that later if you win the books.  I’m really just curious how far reaching this blog goes. I also may do a post about it in the future.

A winner will be drawn at random in a week.

Leave a comment… it’s all you gotta do!