What Kind of Footprints Will You Leave?

This post marks two notable occasions (to me, anyway) - my 500th post and my 28th birthday. As such, I thought it appropriate to ask the question in the title of the post (stolen from the Timberland ad I see all over Port Authority Bus Terminal) - "What kind of footprints will you leave?" As far as looking back on the year, it has been a year full of change. I saw several of my friends get married, I finished my Bachelor's degree, I moved. I started graduate school, got a new job and have met many new people and made many new friends. I said good-bye to my beloved cat (though hopefully not permanently). I have had many challenges throughout the year as well as many blessings. I like to think I have grown personally throughout the year. Since I started my blog, almost two and a half years ago, the blogworld, and my blog itself, has gone through many changes. I started my blog because I was bored at work, and had come across the Protocols blog and found it interesting. I had been having the desire to write and it was a great outlet. The blogosphere wasn't nearly as huge at that point, and you didn't see things in the media about blogs every second. My life has changed quite a bit since then. One of my first posts was about my decision to return to school to finish my Bachelor's degree, with no direction in mind after that. But what has changed in my life since starting my blog is the community that has grown from it. Ze'ev and Ezzie have recently written about the Blogosphere and the connections that are made through it, and I have definitely experienced that. I know I have been the impetus for at least three blogs starting since I started mine. But I have also come in contact with a number of wonderful individuals through my blog - through their comments, e-mails and their own blogs - that I would never have come across without it. I have been fortunate to engage in interesting, thought-provoking, caring, helpful and important correspondences through my blog in the past year, and since its inception. I can't imagine my life without these connections - it would certainly be far more boring than it is - I definitely appreciate the color it has brought into my life. So, I am back to my initial question - What kind of footprints will I leave? Well, at the least I hope my blog and writing make people think - about life, themselves, and others. I hope people read my blog and leave having learned something new, having gained some perspective or with something to think about. I hope I have positively impacted at least a few people, that my footprints will be imbedded with kindness and caring. Where do I go for the next year? I think I will just keep at it, plugging away, sharing my thoughts, hopefully continuing to grow a little bit every day. Hopefully the next year will bring even more wonderful connection and correspondences into my life. Here's to a great year!