Either is worth celebrating.
On April 12, 2001 I built my first real website. It seemed real enough at the time–no hot dog factory pictures of my babies. It still exists and every so often I swear I am going to fix it, modernize it, make it wonderful again. I even tried to coax some time out of Sarah Dopp to help most recently. Of course, we are insanely busy, especially her. I really ought to teach myself how to do what I want to do with it. I can teach myself anything as long as someone isn’t around to heckle. 
Bringing me back to my original website.
I built it to prove a point, to prove I could do anything if I chose to do it. I didn’t need someone’s help.
I also led a meeting coaching community moderators, on that same day, on how to build message board communities. (a meeting in an online chat room where the backtalk wasn’t on Twitter, but on AIM with Food Julia where I furiously messaged her about something that happened just before the meeting. An email, that changed my day after a phone call that changed someone else’s day–well a lot of someones, but no one, not even us, really knew that part then.)
900 miles away give or take was a woman who realized that despite our best intentions, she had broken the rules and fallen in love. Why? Because I said I never wear socks and she didn’t either. Oh wait, that isn’t why she fell in love–that is just why she realized it.
Every year, I build something, decide something, create something for this day.
On April 12, 2006, I built this blog to prove a similar point to the same person. I can do what I set my mind to and she will love the results.
Ten years and still in love with online community, creating websites, proving her wrong or right really, and very much in love with her too.
Happy Sock Day!
