Thanks!
November 27, 2014 § 44 Comments
Sometimes I wonder what to write, but not today. This one is easy.
My blog gets about 1,037 visitors per day. Some of the visitors read what’s here, some of the visitors take the extra step to comment, and some of the visitors take what is much, much more than an “extra step.” They send me $2.99 a month and become subscribers.
What do subscribers get that no one else gets? In terms of content, services, or other tangible things … well, nothing.
But it is the subscribers who keep me going.
People who fiction do pretty much the same thing, whether they’re great, good, mediocre, or terrible. We channel the vagaries inside our heads, the strangeness of our daily lives, and the wonders of existence into words.
I don’t know why I do it, but I do know this: When people, the vast majority of whom are strangers, send me $2.99 each month to thank me for my efforts, everything I do and write feels worthwhile. Is it strange that satisfaction and self-worth are so cheap? Not to me, because it’s not cheap at all. Rather, it’s an act of incredible kindness and generosity.
Plus, $2.99 fits squarely inside my “money value matrix.” When people are talking about whether “x” amount of money is “worth it,” I always ask this question. “Would I bend over to pick it up if it was lying on the sidewalk?” Since I would pick up even a penny if it was lying on the sidewalk, $2.99 is a whole $2.98 more than my minimum estimation of “Is it worth it?”
The other side of the satisfaction I get from your contribution is obligation. It’s a bit of a challenge at times to crank out 1,000 words on a daily basis, more or less limited to the topic of “Cycling in the South Bay,” and to make sure that in each post there are no glaring misspellings or egregious grammatical bloopers that rouse the ire of Billy Stone. In fact, the challenge is at times so great that I’m tempted to just say “Fugg it” and be done with the whole thing.
But I don’t, and that’s because of you, who send me your monthly $2.99. That money means something to you, and you earned it somehow, and you went through the horrible experience of interfacing with PayPal to set up your subscription.
That money means something to me, too. It means that you value what I do. You value it more than one of these, the same as one of these, but slightly less than one of these. And what makes your contribution even more meaningful to me is that you give it when you could simply keep reading for free.
And finally, your gift makes my lifelong dream real by turning me into what I’ve always wanted to be: A professional writer.
Thank you.
Seth
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For $2.99 per month you can subscribe to this blog, which will really make me happy, and a professional. Click here and select the “subscribe” link in the upper right-hand corner. Thank you!
Cycling in the South Bay 
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Seth.
Thank you, Tamar, and for the words of encouragement!
Seth, I have been watching your form over the last year and have decided to offer you a pro contract on a month to month basis.Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you! I’ve already started word doping!
You are a very giving writer in your blog, most like Jane Austen with cursing. You write about the world you know, make it understandable and special to outsiders, enshrine it so people will remember it, and lovingly capture its humor and irony and wisdom and foolishness and life lessons. And you even include the role of money. Thanks for your giving.
Love you.
Happy Thanksgiving Seth. I always look forward to your blog, it get my day off with a smile. Well most of the time except like when you get serious and touching. But a tear never hurts either.
Best to you and Trudi — really appreciate your friendship. Group hug!
Thank you for writing Wanky. 🙂
… and thank you for reading!
My cycling friends in NorCal latched on to your blog several years ago, Seth,and agreed that we enjoyed it so much, we’d PAY to read it. Well, I think most of us jumped at the opportunity when you attached a PayPal account to your blog. I think I speak for them all when I say “congrats” for a terrific blog, and we look forward to every new post.
I swear, at some point, I’m gonna get to SoCal with the bike and do BWR or NPR with you guys, at least until I get shelled after the first mile or two! Happy Thanksgiving! – Drew
Thank you Drew! Just let me know before you make the trip so we can cobble together some of these imaginary rides and riders!
Thank you Seth – your musings are worth well more than 2.99 –
Anytime I rate higher than Dr. Scholl’s Instant Corn Remover, I have a word for it: “Winning.”
Thanks.
“please, keep it going,” was what my college professor asked of me and i still see those words on the paper he wrote them on. i give thanks every day for that gentle prod he gave me.
i give thanks that i am sharing the same path with you and for all that you give me along the way.
please, keep it going, Seth.
Well, one of the most wonderful people I have ever met in my life told me as we were riding one day, “Don’t be afraid to have a point of view, and to stick with it.”
That friend’s encouragement is with me all the time.
Thanks, Michael.
Thank you, Seth. Worth every penny. More value then you know. Honestly.
Thank YOU! And Happy Thanksgiving!
Really appreciate all you do. Always good for a chuckle , always good for some perspective.
Nothing that can’t be drummed up with some funhouse mirrors and Blogbot v. 2.091.
Thanks, Martin.
Happy thanksgiving seth🍃🍂 enjoy it every morning:) lmk if I suceeded in PayPal ??😁
Thanks, Michelle!
Worth every penny and more. Glad to read your blog and glad to ride with you. I do miss Tuesday NPR though. Thanks Seth.
Thanks! Tuesday NPR will return, once the dogs of Westchester Parkway complete their “minor” renovations.
Have a great holiday.
I read it everyday, at least those days there is something to read, and find every word worth the 2.99. When we read about your adventures and friends we are reading about our own adventures and friends.
Thanks! There’s a little bit of crazybastard everywhere …
[raising a glass] “To Crazy Bastards!!” [Drink]
Don’t live in California, never met, but your stories waft up the intraweb to the NW as if you ride and race with us. Never laughed harder at twice the price. Thanks.
Thank you, and thanks for the support!
You tell tales that beg the telling, in a way that’s most compelling. Your blog is the best value on the interwebs!
Thanks, Marv!
Super riding with you today. Glad we were able to solve a few more global problems.
Thank you for writing Seth! #mfinspirational
You’re welcome! See you soon!
Send me a mailbox address so I can send u some $ for subscription?
Pacific Tower, Suite 500
21250 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503
Thank you!!
I drank wine with diner yesterday. I was thankful for that. I am also thankful that you are making me smile (and smirk) about cycling, something I lost along the years. So now I am on my bike a lot more and
you are a big part of that.
Thanks, Dean!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
$2.99 /mo oming your way.
Thank you!!
I’ve truly enjoyed your accounts of cycling in South Bay, the cycling community, why you ride, and the role of cycling in your family and professional life. It’s a gift to have that passion for writing and cycling.
I’ve found great personal satisfaction in riding the long sweeping hills, ramps and county roads of the Texas Hill Country. It makes me a nicer, calmer, almost pleasant middle aged man. And my wife is grateful.
On that note, $2.99/mo on its way! I hope all is well with you and stay warm!
Thank you!!
Seth, I would gladly pay $3.10 per month for your inspirational efforts. You may scoff but that’s almost a 5% raise. That’s more than most of us have seen in 7 years.
Here’s another version of picking up a penny: If you dropped a quarter into a toilet in a public restroom how much more money would you have to throw in to make it worth retrieving your quarter?
Cheers, and thanks again.
Depends on whether the toilet was logged or not.