Most recently, I've found that many of my postings will draw the attention of about 50 readers over the first 24 hours. Many of my graduate student classes, of course didn't have half that many students.

The hits will usually double over a 3 to 4-day period and double again over a week to 10 days. I've been surprised to learn that over several weeks that I've had as many as 400 hits for a posting. Other bloggers, I'm sure have more impressive numbers.

The fact that I can reach that many readers with some of my thoughts over an extended period of time encourages me. As a former professor, who might have had that many students at any lecture, maintaining their concentration might have been my primary problem.

This information now imposes even a greater responsibility as to what I have to say. For now I'm doing more than merely writing in my dairy.

It also gives me the opportunity to expand on many thoughts that might have merely passed, classified at first as runt ideas, not sufficiently significant to spend time with their development and to then pass on to the next ones.

Now I find that blogging has a great deal of significance in our society and will continue to have, especially in the creation of individual thought and passing many ideas along to more than that one person with whom you are sharing coffee.

That one person may be enjoying his coffee far more than the sound of your voice. Now your thought can come out into the open to be reflected on by many.

I had an old friend who didn't drink coffee because of his health and still listened to those sounds that came out of my head, with the same enthusiasm that I listened to his wisdom.

It is difficult to lose such an intelligent listener and such a sage, especially in response to those thoughts that one gave birth to. I'm of course sad now for that loss but also for myself as the surviving loser. I'm therefore, even more thankful to be able to blog.