It's been quite a long while since my last Yelp. The closet now has an LED lighting array. There are no cobwebs or dirty mops in the corner. Someone did one helluva job tidying this closet.
Quite a few years have passed since I first began YelpsFromTheCloset. From the beginning, this blog was created as an outlet for me to unburden myself from my hurt, anger, resentments, self-loathing.... you get the picture. Yelps was the dumpster and the words I was writing were the leftover Dim Sum in styrofoam containers. What a tumultuous time it was. It seems like a dream. A strange, surreal dream jam packed with life lessons needing to be deciphered.
So much has changed since that time. Oddly, what began as a personal outlet for me morphed into something else, something good. People, yes, you people, began following my Yelps. This little closet was getting larger. Readers of my inane ramblings spanned the globe and every continent. Thank you all... there were thousands who were reading each entry. I was lambasted by some. That's not a problem. Not all of my words were meant to be all 'happy happy joy joy' and I certainly deserved some of the lambastation (I know, that's not a word.).
What surprised me most of all was that my words were helping others. I wasn't alone. With that surprise came a sobering realization: My words aren't just mine. They were and are the words of many, many others and they provided laughs, tears and hope.
My life has changed more times than Cher's wardrobe in concert. I sincerely hope that what I've written in the past has provided help or hope to at least one person.
I've been directed to tell my story. Well, I've been directed to write a book detailing a personal, lifelong transformation. Yelps has been a part of the story.
If anything that you've read here in the last several years has made any difference in your story, please let me know. Seriously, I want to know. I'll include the impact of Yelps in your world in my book, if you'd like.
It's been a helluva ride. The rollercoaster is slowing towards the platform but the thrills are far from over. There is another group jumping into the seats. Don't get into the front car, trust me on this.
Namaste.
