Throwing it back to 2009

This is Justin Bieber from the year 2009. 

I have no affinity for Justin Bieber whatsoever. I couldn't name one of his songs, I've never seen him anything, and for all I know he might actually be very talented. I only use this photo to demonstrate the what a difference 13 years can make.

My people recognized that significance a long, long time ago. Because at 13 years of age, tortured, guilt-ridden Jewish children are suddenly (and prematurely) welcomed to adulthood. I think we can all agree that with the exception of that annoying precocious kid on one of CBS's stupider TV shows, no 13 year old is an actual adult.

Hell, I'm 64 and still haven't mastered this adult thing.

Nevertheless it was 13 years ago yesterday that I began publishing RoundSeventeen. Of course publishing is hardly the accurate word here. Let's be honest, this is a blog. Anyone and everyone can write a blog. 

Most quit after a week because while it's incredibly easy to do -- you just find shit to write about, write about it, and then hit the return key -- the pay sucks. It's hopelessly egalitarian and in some circles might even be considered socialism. 

But what isn't?

And just as the Bliebs (sic) has gone through various incarnations over the past decade plus a third, so has this blog. Which started as a lark, then became a challenge, then became a mission, then became a sounding board on the fate of the ad biz, then became a platform for my socially-liberal, fiscal conservative centrism, which in some circles is akin to radical, leftie hard core communism.

And again, what isn't?

But one thing that hasn't changed is that this blog has always been a semi-running journal of my life. And now that my life changed so radically, there can be no other alternative for the nature, tone and arguable humor of this tiny inconsequential digital rag to change with it.

I hope you'll understand and bear with me. Maybe it'll even change for the better.

But I doubt it.