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I discovered tBlog like a lot of folks do -- by doing a Google search for Free Blogging sites.  That was over 4 years ago and "blogs" were the hottest Internet thing going at the time.  Google had yet to monetize everything that clicked on the Net.  MySpace was worth about as much as my first car and Facebook's founder was still looking for a date to his Junior prom.  I'd recently moved back to my hometown in the hope of re-centering my life around my most deeply held values.  I was living in a town of 400 people in rural Kentucky.  Needless to say, my social life suffered comensurately, which was exactly my plan.  So, I had a bit of time on my hands that I hadn't had in many years.  I also I had some things inside of me that needed to be expressed and a few ideas that I wanted to share with someone other than the usual suspects in my life.

I checked out all the popular blogging sites of that time.  It seems like Type Pad and Blogger and Blog Spot were the 3 other blogs other than tBlog that I gave a spin.  Posting to all the other blogs was a bit like screaming at the top of your lungs in deep outer space because there was no one there to hear your scream.  tBlog was different.  tBlog was simple -- sort of like my little hometown.  My tBlog was very easy to set-up and to begin posting.  I spent some time lurking on tBlurt and eventually began to interact with other tBloggers.  I visited their sites and left comments so that I could accumulate tBucks.  Others visited my site and left their comments for me.  I checked out the Hot Blogs and thought about how cool it would be to become one of the top bloggers on a blogging site.

Although I was just looking for a blog site, what I found was the most unique on-line community that I'd ever joined -- and being the Internet junkie I am -- I'd joined them all.  I can still remember late nights in Compuserve forums using a 14K modem.  Here at tBlog I became a very active blogger, reader of other blogs and frequent commenter to other blogs.  Loving nothing more than a vigorous and spirited debate, I quickly became a bit infamous for my special brand of bloviating in the comments section of other other tBloggers.  I believe I can easily claim the title of longest commenter on tBlog without risking a protest!

To this very day, what I love so much about tBlog is that even after 4 years of being a member of the tBlog community, I still find tBlog just as oddly authentic... just as refreshingly anti-cool... just as REAL as tBlog was for me those first few weeks of blogging.  I truly consider my tBlog friends to be real friends in every sense of the word.  Those of you who have been reading my blogs over the past few years likely know more about me than the people I spend time with in the carbon based world.  You've been with me through several big changes and you've watched my kids grow up.  You were there when I met a very special woman almost 3 years ago to the day that will become my wife next month.  You were there when my son, Warren, came to live with me.  You were there when I was re-grouping in Centertown, Kentucky and you were there when I packed up the SUV to move to Orange County, California.  You were there when my kids got roles in local plays and you stayed with me all the way through to Gracie's recent appearance on the hit sitcom "Two and Half Men".

You were there because tBlog provided a tool for me to share my life, my thoughts and my hopes with you and you were there because tBlog evolved to become best blogging community on the web for regular ol' folks like us all over the world.  You were there because I chose to write all down on tBlog and because you were kind enough to read and leave a comment.

Who would have thought that real human community that truly enriches one's life could be achieved by such a simple equation?  Here's the equation:  1) Be willing to share your thoughts by writing them down and posting them to your tBlog.  2) Read the blogs of others and be willing to leave a thoughtful comment.  3) When others leave comments, thank them for their input and return the favor.

Only Snoopy May Know What the "t" Stands For

Now, noboby knows exactly what the "t" in tBlog officially stands for -- I think it my stand for "touch", because being a member of the tBlog community has certainly touched my life.  Then again, it might stand for "thought", since tBlog is a place where so many of us get to share our thoughts and have our thoughts heard.

The "t" could also stand for "Trademark& quot; because for me there's just nothing like tBlog.

Sure, I've got an outpost on Facebook and I'm a good networker on LinkedIn and Plaxo.  But if you cut out my heart, you'd find it branded with that little "t" and that's why despite whatever new trends may come and go in the land of 3 W's -- it'll always be tBlog for me!

Before you start tMailing me about every technical problem or bug that tBlog's ever had, please know that I've struggled through the same membership pains that you have.  In many ways, those growing pains have made this community real in the same way the Old Skin Horse in the Children's story The Velveteen Rabbit says we all become real -- by going through a shared experience together.  Hey, maybe that's what the "t" in tBlog stands for -- togetherness.  My final suggestion for what that little "t" might represent is "Thankfullness" because I couldn't be more thankful for tBlog or for tBlog's great members.

Here's to a bright future for tBlog!  If you are new here, you'll want to stick around long enough to find out what makes tBlog so special.  If you've been here in Nanna's nursery a very long time like the Old Skin Horse, then don't go anywhere because tBlog could be ready to really hit its stride and you won't want to miss the ride.

If you get a chance, let me know what you love best about tBlog and about being a member of the tBlog Global Neighborhood...

This blog is the creation of Kurt Maddox, an Internet Entrepreneur, Consul tant, Motivational Speaker and Success Coach living in Orange County, California.  Kurt welcomes you to contact him anytime by sending an email to kurt@kurtmaddox.com or by phone at 1-800-274-8151!