Public History Website Update

     Out of the gate, please allow me to thank those individuals who read and contributed to my blog: Dr. Carolyn Barske, Mrs. Denise White, and Ms. Amelia Salem.  Thank you so very much for your time and the addition of your beautiful voices, ladies.  After all, this is a blog.  Any blog should be a place inviting and stimulating enough for visitors to peruse and join in the discussion.  Having always abhorred vanity, I tried to conduct this blog as a comfortable and appreciative meeting place for fellow minds, then as a class assignment.  Unfortunately, over 700 page views and scant few comments shows me that I am planning and typing to no avail.  This is NOT a surprise however.  From the moment that I first read of this blog assignment, it was very evident to me- even to the point of me voicing my concerns- that the general population simply doesn't care about our Public History website project progression.  The finished product?  Sure.  I attempted, and somewhat succeeded I believe, in modeling how a Public Historian can meld their mission and their job into a single entity.  How one so insignificant can take accurate history and present it to the public in an entertaining and refreshing way.  It certainly proves the "spoonful of sugar" and "medicine" adage.  If one were to use a blog, in a similar fashion, that utilizes search-engine listings and other marketing strategies, then a following would not be hard to build.  And a voice-from-the-wilderness will be heard!  Hopefully, my upcoming website will benefit in such a way from paid services.  Another adage?  "You have to spend money in order to" build readership!  Oh, 700+ page views is nothing to sneeze at, I know.  For a completely unadvertised blog, I feel very confident with those numbers.  However, it is the lack of contribution and cooperation- and time for modeling- that has ultimately forced me into "doing as the Romans do" and simply fulfilling my course requirements at this time.
     To address my Public History website progression, two words can be effectively used: "it's going."  I am certainly not having any breakdowns- hardware or mental!  Building the Historical Landscaping website is a simple matter of research, time, and data-entry.  That's it folks.  It really is just that simple.  Besides, mental anguish over simplicity does NOT a good blog make.  It only serves to undermine credibility and the potency of one's mission.  Nor does my lamenting about the misusage of time.  I have deemed myself "King of the Procrastinators" more than one time in my life.  But, understand this, I NEVER procrastinate with something that holds my attention and doesn't seem like a chore or an exercise in futility.  As a matter of fact, if something hooks me, I jump at the chance and sometimes cause problems from starting something too early!  All of that is moot in this case.  Being methodical (though in a comical way), I have finished compiling all of my research materials (i.e. text, photographs, videos, diagrams, etc.).  I mean, ALL!  I have been dividing it out into appropriate site-specific piles over the past week.  Actual data-entry will begin towards the end of the week.  That's it, ladies and gentlemen!  Needing to find my motivation once again, I had to take a break for a couple of days.  As we all have experienced, sometimes we have to pull out our inner-astrolabe and re-calibrate our direction.  Our purpose.  The point of it all.  Sometimes, the point gets lost in red tape and the unmotivated actions of others and you have to reimagine your place within this new environment.  To quote the great T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia)- "This I did."