Maybe We Should Make the National Holiday Last a Week

Welcome, fellow Bruce fans. The National Holiday continues. If you're looking for my interview with Christopher Phillips of Backstreets, click here or scroll down to the next post.

Since you're all here, allow me to preach to the General Admission seats for a minute or two.

About all of us who are evangelical Springsteen fans: I always knew we were everywhere. But I learned over the past three days that we really are everywhere.

Since Saturday, when Chris put up a link to my interview with him, over 5,000 of you have visited. To put that in perspective: This blog has been up for almost ten months. Before Chris linked (which led to another link from Greasy Lake), I had under 5,000 total visitors. Now I have over 10,000. In three days, the number of hits here has doubled. That's not pageloads, that's visitors.

When I say everywhere, here's what I mean. Since 4 p.m. Saturday:

1. This blog got at least three hits from every state in the Union. We got over 500 from New Jersey.
   
2. We had visitors from six continents. In fact, we had at least ten visitors from every continent except Antarctica.
3. We had visitors from every Canadian province.
4. Somebody from every country in Europe, except the Vatican, stopped by to read.
   
5. African nations represented include: Egypt, Sudan, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
6. We had visitors from every country in South America except Venezuela.
7. Over three hundred of you e-mailed. I've responded to every one. Thanks.
8. Twenty American soldiers logged in from Iraq (or Lt. Ed Novak visited 20 times in 3 days). Thanks to all of you over there making the world safer for the rest of us. Come home safely and soon.
9. We Bruce fans are in every profession. I've counted hits from law firms, medical practices, accounting firms, investment banking houses, three movie production companies, five newspapers, HBO, schools, colleges, universities, airlines, three departments of the federal government and at least ten agencies of various state governments... the list goes on...
10. Can I have a hand for Chris Phillips for that? What a great interview Chris gave about a terrific magazine... obviously, it's one of our favorites, since so many of us visit backstreets.com every day.

Thanks to all of you for joining the party here at Random Thoughts. Come back as often as you like.

Here's the background on this blog, for the thousands of you who are new visitors. Here at Random Thoughts, it's all about writing, which is why Bruce Springsteen figures so prominently.

I have favorite novelists, but Bruce is my favorite writer.

I write because of a guy named Nick Alicino, who left us much too soon. Nick was my Ninth Grade English teacher and an evangelical Springsteen fan before the term existed. In September of 1984, Nick got me hooked on Bruce and on writing. I'm not sure which came first... but I've never been a writer without being a Springsteen fan; I've never been a Springsteen fan without being a writer.

Four years ago, The Saint and I saw Bruce play in Boston with Nick and his daughter. (October 4, 2002, for those of you rushing over to Backstreets for the setlist.) Since then, I've finished one novel, found an agent, had a third child (OK, The Saint did all the work there) and started a second novel. I've also met dozens of fellow writers and Springsteen fans.

Why is September 23 a National Holiday for me? I wouldn't be doing this--chasing my dream-- if Nick Alicino hadn't introduced me to Bruce Springsteen. So here's a little secret. Eevery September 23, while I'm wishing Bruce a Happy Birthday (and many more), I'm also thanking Nick Alicino. I don't think Bruce would mind, do you?

Come on back any time. It's been a hell of a house party.

Adam