Guess what happened a few weeks ago?

I went from being a wordpress.com to a .com!

How exciting is that?

Just when everyone is considering leaving WordPress because block editor isn’t as easy as stacking a bunch of blocks, I take ownership and buy my domain name.

Huzzah.

It was a weird feeling plunking down that money. My first thought, of course, was that I would get bored and stop writing. Because isn’t that what always happens? As soon as you invest in something the novelty erodes and you never pick it up again?

But, for now, I’m still here…

This is where you would stand up and cheer if we were all together in a packed room and I was unveiling my new product. Chants of LA LA LA would be echoing off the walls. But since we can’t actually be together for this momentous announcement, I will just run the soundtrack through my head…

LA

LA

LA

But anyway…

It did feel a little scary when I first saw the plain .com. I mean, what right do I have to an actual domain name? Does having wordpress in there have any street cred? Is having my own .com entitle me to use the term street cred?

I don’t sell anything (except my discount brand of pragmatism) I have no dreams of becoming viral (take that in any sense of the word…no post being spread millions of times, no testing positive for anything) So what am I?

Thoughts of am I a fraud? popped through my head. I mean, do I really have any idea what I’m saying everyday when I spout my philosophies on just about everything? Or an I just spouting?

And then the pragmatic side took hold real hard.

Of course I’m just spouting. But really, so is everyone else.

We all think things and say things and wonder what comes next.

We are all just getting through the day, hoping that tomorrow will be just a little better. Even if out lives are 100% perfect at that moment, we optimistically think, maybe life can be just a little better tomorrow…

This is the moment in my blog where I would usually check the word count… Has anyone figured out how to check word count in block editor? Because I do miss that… I miss that little reminder of when I’ve babbled endlessly for a hundred or so too many words…

So I’ll just sign off for now.

Welcome to wakinguponthewrongsideof50.com

I aim to be a little snarky, a little sarcastic, 25% pessimist, 25% optimist and 100% myself.

Thank you and Good Night.

the crowd roars as I exit the stage in a pillar of smoke and “Eye of the Tiger” plays in the background.

96 thoughts on “Moving on Up”

  5. Congratulations! I have been wanting to do that but am afraid to spend the funds. I hope you can let us all know all the benefits as you go along. Like will you have advertising or monetize eventually, any other benefits besides more space to write. I have had to delete some old stuff in order to make way for new.

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  10. Congratulations, Illustrious LA, and welcome to the club! 😀
    …I didn’t know about the ‘i.’ I click to the side of all the blocks, do Cntrl-A (for “select all”), and the word count shows up in the side bar.

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  11. Congratulations on your new domain name. I want to say a few words about the block editor. Yes, it’s a pain, but in most cases, it just takes a little poking around to figure out how to do something if you get stuck. And, there is the option to go back to the classic editor if you really get fed up. Maybe you have to be a graphic designer to appreciate the new editor, but to leave WordPress because of it. I don’t get it. It is interesting, though, that many new software versions of popular platforms make things harder rather than easier. Facebook and Zoom are two more good examples.

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    1. I must admit I use Facebook less and less as time goes on. And I’m still learning zoom. I had three zoom meetings last week and I admit I just don’t like that as a platform

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  14. Well aren’t you the coolest! Enjoy your own domain name. I’m not sure there really is much difference when you interact with WP but I’ve got mine, too. It sounds impressive if nothing else.

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  19. Congrats! I got to that space issue thing but then deleted a bunch of duplicate pictures and posts and now I’m good but I have been researching platforms because I DO want to sell things. WP is one, Wix and Squarespace are the others. Having that domain name is cool.

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  21. Having your own domain name is kind of like the difference between renting and owning your own home. There is a certain sense that comes with that difference that is hard to define, but is ultimately satisfying. Congrats!

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  24. Congratulations on getting your own domain!
    There’s nothing strange with spending money on your blog. People pay for gym cards, golf clubs and musical instruments so if your hobby is to blog, of course it’s fine to spend money on domain name, hosting and whatnot.

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    2. No, if you upgrade to paid you are still within the reader community. If instead you decide to go at it completely on your own with really confusing tools that are way harder than block editor, you would join WordPress.Org

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  33. Congrats! I don’t know too many other people who are as dedicated to blogging as you are! I used to have my own domain, but with retirement on the horizon, it was an unnecessary expense. There are things I miss about having my own domain, but there’s something to be said about not having to worry about plug-in updates all the time. So, I’ll gripe about the block editor and be happy with what I have.

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    1. Blogging is the one thing in my life that I don’t overthink. I have a starting point and I just go. I don’t reinvent the wheel, just spurt out what’s in my mind. If I spent more time per blog I wouldn’t enjoy it as much

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  37. I hope you enjoy your new place in the world. I am too cheap to do that, but I do sometimes wonder what horrible ads my huge reading public is having to endure as the price for reading my words of wisdom. I do love your virtual stage exit–sights and sounds to wow!

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