Dear Spike's Friends:
This all started a little over a year ago, shortly after I learned that Spike's mom was pregnant.
My good friend and fellow journalist Matt Canham had just finished writing a profile of blogger Heather Armstrong, a fellow inmate of Salt Lake City better known as Dooce.
I'd already been blogging for years, first as a way to keep my column-writing skills fresh and then, upon my first reporting trip to Iraq, as a platform to tell stories and share insights that might not otherwise fit into the print edition of the newspaper I work for.
Matt suggested that I add, to that repertoire, a blog about my impending fatherhood.
I had already resolved to write Spike letters. Having recently returned from my second reporting trip to Iraq — on board a medical transport plane alongside dozens of wounded service members in various states of injury and dismemberment — I suppose my mortality was on my mind. And I guess I wanted to make sure that, in the unlikely event that my child was to grow up without a father, that he or she wouldn't have to do so without at least a few words of fatherly love and advice.
I never intended to write Spike every day, or even every week, but over the past year I've found that I've had a lot more to tell her than I thought I would when I began this project. I've also found that, for whatever reason, there are a few of you out there who enjoy reading Spike's mail.
So this evening, I spent some time cleaning up dearspike.com — changing the banner, photos, colors and fonts in hopes of making it a bit easier on your eyes. I've added a few more links to the blogs of people who read and comment here regularly and also added a section (below the links) with some of the recent articles I've written for the newspaper I work for.
Why fuss? Well, admittedly, I think it would be fun to see the little ticker at the bottom of this Web page spin 'round like our gas meter in the dead of winter, but I'm sure you'll all understand when I say that the little girl who is curled up next to me right now will always be my most important reader.
Even if she can't read yet.
Love,
Spike's Dad.
4 comments:
I love to read your blog and even tell my husband about how you write letters to you daughter. You seem like a great father and they are so rare now a days. I am lucky because my husband is one of those rare fathers. I always checking your blog for updates and even added to mine because I think your blog is a great read. I like the changes!
I've been reading your blog since right before Spike was born. I read faithfully and had added you to my blog favs so I don't have to link through the original person. I too often share your letters with my hubby even though he doesn't really get the blogging "thing".
I'm afraid the changes are a little bit hard on my eyes but that's just me. The content is still fabulous and I will continue reading even if I have to sqwint.
I like the new look. I liked the old look too though; it's the content that matters most.
By the way, that's not a bad number on the reader count for a one year old blog.
I am honored to be listed among Spike's friends. I have the distinct honor of "knowing you back when." You were a great writer then, and even better now. Cheers to Spike, to Michael, to all the babies around the world, to all the dads who are going above and beyond. Cheers to you, friend.
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