One of the fun aspects of this particular blog hosting site is that you can see how many people have been viewing your page, what particular sections they are reading, and, most impressive of all to somebody that probably isn’t ever going to travel any more extensively than they already have, a glimpse into what parts of the world have stumbled headlong into your writings. But what it cannot tell you is why. More exactly, why there are so many views of “Fight, Swear, Loathe; Chapter 5.” Here is the thing: there have been twenty-one views of this one chapter. What is the deal?

I know I wrote the silly thing, but I have been back over it repeatedly trying to figure out what in this chapter keeps drawing in readers. Maybe it is just one particular reader. Maybe they love this chapter so much they just can’t get enough of it. Perhaps they have sent it to everyone in their address book so that they too can experience the grandeur of the thing. Or, more likely, they have it bookmarked thinking incorrectly that this is the bulk of my blog. Bugbear, please. We are now into chapter ten. Arguably not as compelling a chapter as five, but c’mon. We’ve moved on already.

All of this is in jest, of course. I have a devil of a time getting anybody close to me to even take a peek at my writing so it is a delight that somebody cares enough to keep reading one chapter of one book. If ever my writing is used as an example for some college class someplace I hope they note the popularity of this one chapter. “Students, this chapter is as good as he ever got. It is all downhill on a rocket sled full of dynamite from here.” Take notes, kids. This will be on the exam.