Thank You

I want to take a small break from the deeper reflections I’ve been writing and say THANK YOU to you, dear reader.  Why?  Well, apart from the fact that you’re taking time out of your day to read this note, I have a few notable reasons to be grateful.

1.     Last night when I checked the readership of my blog I saw that not only am I reaching people in the United States and Germany (as I’ve done since the beginning), I also have readers in Ireland, France, and Poland.  You don’t know how cool it is for me to see that much interest in what I have to say.  Since launching my blog on January 27, 2016 I have had nearly 370 viewers.  I’m not a math major; I’ve often said that math is evidence of the reality that there is an ultimate evil in the world.  But those 370 views works out to be an average of 14 people per day (I think) cruising by.  That astounds me and humbles me.

2.     I logged into my publishing account last night and learned that my book, These Are The Days, has not only earned a 4/5 star review (my first review!!) but I have a royalty check about to drop.  I’m not going to lie—the royalty check is a nice thing.  What’s even cooler, though, is that people are reading my book and seem to be liking it.  I am so grateful for this!  When I first self-published the book I was so worried that not only would people not enjoy the book (in part because I did it on the down low and didn’t have an editor sweep through it), but that I would take the risk of exposing myself for nothing.  So far that hasn’t been the case.  You guys are awesome!

3.     Because of the support I’ve seen through watching people come to my blog and read my book, I have been so encouraged.  There are still those moments when I worry that people will discover who Troy Comets really is but until then I feel like I’m doing some good.  That’s an affirmation I sorely needed in my life. 

4.     Also because of your support I am roughly one fourth of the way through a new manuscript for a new story.  It’s another LGBT “coming of age” book but I think it’s a little more complex as it tackles topics like culture, identity, stereotypes, and bigotry based on race, sexuality, and religion.  Feeling inspired after seeing all of these numbers and reports, I wrote what I think is one of the best scenes I have ever written last night.  I can’t wait to share it with you!

I am so grateful to you, dear reader, for joining me on this journey.  I’m sure that some of the people who visit my blog and read my book are not too different from me, being trapped in a place where coming out flat out isn’t an option.  Believe me, I respect that and pray for the day where we can all be who we were meant to be.  I understand completely your desire to learn more, participate vicariously, and keep yourself safe by not subscribing and deleting your history. 

But for everyone else, if there is one thing more I could ask of you it would be to find and follow me on twitter.  I’m still learning the twitter ropes and all the cultural pieces of the twitterverse, but I think that what I appreciate more and more about twitter is the ability to be in rapid and sometimes meaningful contact with people.  I think we all need someone out there to act as a hole in the wall into which we can whisper our secrets and dreams and aspirations without fear of consequence.  Since it seems that Troy Comets has taken up residence in that hole in the wall, please know that I’m here for you.  You can follow me on twitter @TroyComets.

So, again, thank you.  Someday hopefully I can find the words that will convey what you mean to me, dear reader.