A Reintroduction

An early title image (taken in New Jersey in 2008)

We've hit our 45th consecutive day of posting (43 of them in 2019).

Combining the renewed focus on writing with the blog being born again (praise Marty Moose!), it was suggested that I explain our little effort here in this corner of the interwebs.

I went into detail originally back on Aug 20, 2006, but the suggestion of revisiting the what and why of Exit 55 is a great one.

Blogs were quite the rage in the late-00's (lazy, hazy days, of course). I was just a suburban dad with a job, as well as a side gig calling sporting events. I had a four-year-old that I adored (and still do).

I was intrigued by the idea of starting a blog, but it had to be right.

My feeling was that I wasn't willing to do a blog unless I invested wholeheartedly. I didn't want to do it and then let it just languish.

A few friends began writing one, and that was the last straw. It was time to take the plunge. I opted for Blogger (and have never moved off of it, despite the temptation to run to WordPress or somewhere else), and decided it would be multifaceted. At no point did I want it to just be sports, or music, or roads, or movies, or politics, or anything else.

I wanted it to be about everything, and it has been.

There are things that I'm sure I've written that I regret, and there are others that I'm pretty proud of. For instance...

- What has become known as "The McCartney Post."
- After Yogi Berra died, I wrote about "The Yankees Saloon."
- I also wrote about the pure joy of the game of baseball ("Baseball").

These aren't the most popular posts in the 13 years of this blog, but those are ones that were impactful. For the record, the story of Oniontown, NY holds the title of the most hits.

The title of the blog was actually the thing I obsessed over the most, but I'm pleased with how it came together. It was very organic. I wanted something that fits me, and the combination of roads with my favorite number, and the metaphor of "exit" as a place to release my writing all worked.

It just hit me, and it's actually been a bit of an identifier for me. Just as "Robcasting" is becoming now.

I normally marvel at the fact that I have kept this going with a post on the anniversary, August 17 (2006), and was about the beginning of the end of old Yankee Stadium.

In 2019, I'm still complaining about it.

I've evolved in many ways, but old Yankee Stadium still makes me very wistful.

Years ago (I think it was 1987), a college professor asked me to mentor a student about writing. It shocked me, as I never thought of myself in that way (I wasn't available to do so, sadly). Yet for years, I read the work of people like Mike Lupica, and I wondered if I could present my thoughts in a similar way.

I never thought I could get that on paper. Or the internet.

Yet the blog was a way to try. If I failed, then the investment was literally nothing.

Instead, it opened doors. I made friends and allowed the blog to be a way to peer inside. People began quoting the blog to me, and telling me about things that they read.

I was shocked. I'm still shocked.

I haven't told all of the stories. Oh no, not even close. Those who thought vague posts were about anyone were, more often than not, wrong.

That's what "Rule 55" was for, where I would use a video instead of firing away. It was Sean Kilkelly's idea, and it worked to perfection.

It's still a fine line, this blog. The "shi**y reporter" that I am, I choose words and phrasing carefully. Being that it's writing, I can utilize a delete key. I can't do that on radio or TV.

I found my writing voice. Then I thought I lost it.

I'm back. Maybe not better. Hopefully not worse.

But I'm back. Exit 55 rolls on.