Five years ago I got an email from Jon asking me to write for “Bits and Pieces” and I gleefully accepted. After all, when I have the time, I can crank out a thousand-word essay in less than an hour, so once a week ought to be a breeze, right? The very worst thing a writer can do is repeat himself. After a while, I had to look back to see if I had said it before.

My first piece was “Going to Pot” about why legalization ought to be legal. Five years later it’s legal in two states, and I was hoping to get a dozen more or so. And no, I really do not smoke pot.

The piece that got the most comments and the most positive review was “What’s in a Name”, which asked readers to explain how they got the name they use online. That was interesting as hell.

Generally speaking, talking about guns will create votes and comments. Guns discussion not only got a lot of comments but it got me a Facebook message from a stranger than was less than generous, to say the least. Dogs pull a close second for getting positive votes but not nearly the feedback. Politics create chaos and very bad reviews and a lot of arguments, but politics create a lot of hits no matter what I say or how I say it.

Alcohol makes for interesting stories as well as people in the news who do stupid things that make great stories. I would like to thank a lot of drunks and druggies for giving me something to write about.

Divorce and relationships also popped up a lot.

In June of 2013 I wrote “The Sins of Paula Dean” and from that, I started writing about famous or near famous people’s screw ups by starting out with “The Sins of…” I’ve done that a dozen or so times in five years.

Some of the Friday pieces I’ve written and saved on a thumb drive so I don’t have the complete collection, but I think Jon does. We might self-publish a book so some people can burn it.

A couple of people have threatened to leave if Jon didn’t fire me. I’m pretty sure those people know nothing of Jon because he isn’t going to do a damn thing he doesn’t want to with Bits and Pieces. I’ve said this before and I will say it again; I am here at the pleasure of Jon. When he decides to fire me that’s when it will end. Right after Jon posts each week invariably someone will rank the piece as low as they can. I’m cool with that; Jon gets credits for haters as well as lovers.

Bits and Pieces and for that matter, Jon has become a very real part of my life. Jon posted the story of my dog Lucas, and how Lucas had cancer and I needed some help. That helped save my house and it helped save the life of Lucas, who eventually died fifteen months later to a cause unrelated to cancer. Jon is the lifeblood and heart of this site, and for the last five years, for all Jon has done, all I can say is Thank you!

I’ve gotten some very nice comments from people who like me and what I write. I’ve been accused of being a liberal and a conservative, depending on whose favorite president I was bashing.

I discovered that people read about five hundred words before they start to stop reading, so each piece is about 500 words, give or take.

And finally, thanks to everyone who has been with us on this five-year mission, to seek out… no, wait, that’s something else.

Take Care,

Mike