I knew if I lived and not in prison (without access to my phone or writing materials) like the Saudi blogger, RAIF BADAWI in prison and receiving strokes of the cane every Friday after Juma'at service in public for allegedly "insulting Islam", or comatose or quadriplegic (without aid similar to those used by Professor Stephen Hawking), and not bedevilled by other life altering inconveniences that make blogging impossible, or even worse still, dead as with Bloggers in the country fast gaining popularity as the cemetery for independent-minded, even atheist bloggers, Bangladesh- that I will see a second year of blogging. Interestingly, I cannot say with the same certainty with which I predicted the first two years, what will now happen beyond it!

Lots of things have changed since my very first post, to me and the space within which I (like other bloggers) exist. I have also learnt a great deal from those changes, and if you had followed my blog posts from the onset, you would've noticed those changes. For instance, it has become pertinent for me to include credits, especially for pictures borrowed from other sites regardless of how trivial, following what happened to Linda Ikeji and the many times the issue of plagiarism attempted to perish her blogging career, fortunately she did survive those trying times.

Interesting for me this year, was when I not only got a mention by Boitshepo Motsamai, a Burundian Blogger, but was interviewed by her as to my thoughts concerning the General Elections in Nigeria, the unedited version of which was featured on her blog, and syndicated by mine. It was reminiscent of the tale of the prophet who had no recognition in his own land.

Unlike, my foray in the first year of blogging, after the heat I got in criticizing religious beliefs of others, I followed @BishopChucks on twitter's advice to propagate my faith, rather than downplaying others' and got me some kind words from readers who though did not totally agree with my religious standpoints and views, appreciated what I put out as quite interesting, and many times, as another way of looking at things.

There has been a reduction in the politically inclined blogposts, in favour of human angle stories, many of which I found myself writing, for no just cause, and when I retold friends' personal stories I made sure that names and places where the events took place were changed, while heavily embellishing their stories that it was difficult for some of them to find themselves in their own stories. Fiction wasn't left out, and I even dabbled into the dark on a few occasions, for which I got praise from an unlikely, but usually very critical source.

I am not one to throw a party for major events, talk more minor, but I definitely am not one to overlook an achievement, no matter how small, hence just like I did for the first year, I am not failing to recognize that another year of blogging has come for which I am most grateful to YAHWEH for allowing, by making all that was needed to make a second year of blogging as "'kovich" come to pass. It is a thing of joy.

In celebrating in my head, this milestone, I am not unaware of the challenges and sacrifices that has been made especially by those close to me, to get this far, and that which will be made in the nearest future, if the blog is to achieve more relevance over time.

I have received strength from my small community of followers who haven't failed to make contributions, in terms of appreciations and/or criticisms, to which I promptly responded with blushes or clarifications as the cases demanded. I guess I am still able to respond to each via all the platforms on which my blogposts are shared because the responses remain sparse, but I figure that I may still be able to do same even with a larger interactive audience, but only time will tell.

As for what to look forward to in the future, definitely there will be more of human angle stories. The ENTREPRENEURSHIP SERIES has been a blessing not only to readers but even to me, as I have applied some of the things I have put out to much success in my own life. Poetry doesn't seem to cut it for me, as well as predictions, as I totally misfired regarding the voting pattern of Nigerians during the Presidential Elections, though subsequent posts attempted to explain the underlying issues behind the outcome of that election (and the others after it), that totally shook and changed the Nigerian political landscape.

My muse has been kinder in the past year, despite the few times we had disagreements leading to long periods of "writers' block"; though unlike with the first year when I thought I could shunt her, only for me to produce below par articles, I have largely kept faith with her this time, and she kindly rewarded me with much needed inspiration once she resumed and assumed her "WRITEFUL" place in my head.

Last time we were here, I named names because it was quite easy to so do, someone even accused me of not naming her. This time around it will be a bit difficult to name the many names that have encouraged me to keep at what I am doing, especially on social media outlets, on my blog and physically. If I had known how helpful this experience would be for me, I would have started this journey much longer than I did. Nevertheless, it's never too late, when one wakes up is his morning, and I am just glad I woke up at all.

This is wishing us all, more cogitative years ahead, as we shed the bliss of our ignorance for the circumspection that knowledge affords.

'kovich


PICTURE CREDIT:
- Before Edit- http://suntzufrance.fr

“madukovich’s cogitations” is 2 | madukovich's cogitations https://madukovich./2015/05/17/madukovichs-cogitations-is-2/