TORONTO – Millions will say goodbye to a blog this week that since 2008 has shone the spotlight on some of life’s simple joys.
On April 19, award-winning blogger Neil Pasricha will post his final entry on 1000awesomethings.com, a “time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things.”
The blog began in June 2008, a time of darkness for the writer as he struggled with a failing marriage and a suicide attempt by his close friend. Each day Pasricha would post a reminder of the good things in life – small pleasures that are often overlooked, thought about but never written down.
His inaugural post on Broccoflower – “The bizarre misfit child from two of nature’s most hideous vegetables”- set the tone for what would become an internet sensation and source of inspiration for millions.
His blog entries ranged from the simple and ordinary – such as #788 The first squeeze from a new tube of toothpaste and #41 Fixing electronics by smacking them – to observations that celebrate the sweet and complex moments of human existence, such as #287 When your child reads you a bedtime story and #374 Laughs at a funeral.
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On Monday, Pasricha posted entry #4 – Today – saying “Today’s the greatest day you’ve ever lived.”
Many loyal readers who had never previously commented on the blog decided it was an appropriate time to speak up and thank Pasricha for his labour-of-love.
“I am a daily visitor, I never comment – so I thought I would take this ‘today’ opportunity to thank you for the almost 1000 today’s that you’ve brightened–for so many of us around the world. Neil, you do good. Thanks for everything,” wrote a reader going by the online handle smar.
As anticipation builds for Pasricha’s last entry, to be posted by at 12:00am ET on Thursday, his blog is sure to reach 50 million hits. The Canadian writer already has three Webby Awards, three best-selling books and a successful iPhone app – plus a legion of followers, many of whom are now taking a moment to thank him for his daily reminders of how awesome the simple things in life can be.
The ‘Awesome community’ has grown, spawning schools clubs, corporate team-building exercises and church sermons.
The small town of Rothesay, New Brunswick has pledged to read Pasricha’s latest book, The Book of (Even More) Awesome, together as a community.
On Wednesday evening, Pasricha is holding an event downtown Toronto to officially say goodbye to 1000 Awesome Things and sign copies of his latest book.
With files from Misty Harris, Postmedia News
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