"Things have been going pretty well for you for a while now."

I look up at my therapist and say confidently with a smile, "Yes they have." We've been talking about all the changes I've made lately and the changes I am working towards.

"That's good," she says. "It doesn't always work this way you know. Most of the time, it takes a lot longer."

"I know," I think. Sometimes when I look back at the man I was just six short months ago, it is like looking at someone so different yet so familiar. Maybe I'm a bit of a skeptic, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Wondering what it will be that will send me spiraling back into a depression.

I'm very cognizant that I've made a lot of progress in the last six months, but also that six months is not a very long time. I can still remember what it felt like to isolate myself from everyone around me. The mornings I had to force myself out of bed, otherwise I would have just stayed there. The panic I had even thinking about having to be around other people. The absolute despair I felt every day.

It's probably good that I remember what it was like. It will probably help keep me on course. It also will probably be much harder to fall back in those patterns, after all, I am a different person than I was. I know this to be true. Not completely different, just new and improved I guess. The same detergent you've always trusted, just now with a new fresh scent.

Part of what has helped me through this process is not only this blog, but you, dear readers. When the year started, I took a look at my content from 2003. As that year went on, I had less and less to say. In January, I was ready to walk away from this. I figured my interest was gone or this medium simply wasn't for me. I was prepared to end cheap blue guitar forever.

But instead, I decided to, as Dr. Phil would say, "get real". Turns out I had plenty to say, I just didn't ever say it. So I started to say what was truly on my mind. I posted about being sad and being depressed. It was very cleansing.

And then a wonderful thing happened. I started hearing from some of you. Through comments, through email, through instant messaging, you reached out to me.

Over the last several months, I have forged some very real friendships with some of you. During a time in my life when everyday, I disconnected from the people in my world and detached more and more, I was able to make connections with some of you. Maybe it felt safer that you were intangible to me, but now you aren't. You are very, very real to me. I experienced a kind of healing that helped me reconnect with the live "in the flesh" world around me.

In short, blogging has truly been a gift. It helped open me to not only the people around me, but to those of you out there in the ether.

There is a quote that I love, but it turns out the way I was taught it, was a paraphrase of the original. However I like the paraphrased version much better. I think I will adopt it as a slogan for this blog, my virtual home.

"There are no strangers here, only friends we have yet to meet."

Thank you each and everyone who come here. Thank you for reading my rants and raves. My ups and downs. Thank you for your comments and emails. For those of you with my digits, thanks for the drunk (and sober) dials. I love the serenades. Whether you were a "Muppet on crack" or just relaxing after a long day, thanks for calling. Thank you for chatting with me about music, art, pets
and life. For listening to me about my daily life and for telling me about yours. For reading to me on the phone and calling me when you have good news or just wanted to say "hi".

Thank you for letting me a part of your life and for being a part of mine. I truly appreciate each and every one of you, more than you may realize.