“A Few Milestones Along the Way”

When It All Began.

In September 2000, I suffered my first stroke. After a stretch of intensive rehab, I was finally allowed to return home and resume caring for my wife. I was still healing, still unsteady, and not yet permitted to drive. With the patient guidance of my wonderful speech therapist, I slowly relearned how to speak, read, and write.
During those early recovery days, music was always playing in the background — especially Leonard Cohen. Something in his haunting lyrics stirred me, nudged me, compelled me to start writing things down. That’s when I first discovered a small, surprising knack for shaping words into rhyme.
After several months, my therapist gently encouraged me to join a local writers’ group. And as the old saying goes, from little things, big things grow.

“A Few Milestones Along the Way”

Every now and then, WordPress taps me on the shoulder with a small surprise — a reminder of how long I’ve been wandering these digital paths, and how many kindred spirits I’ve met along the way. This week, a handful of “Achievements” arrived, and they made me pause, smile, and look back over the journey.

Ten years on WordPress. That one landed with a soft thud in my chest. A decade of poems, stories, late‑night edits, early‑morning inspirations, and the steady rhythm of showing up — even on the days when the words came slowly.

Views from over 150 countries. It still amazes me that something written at my desk in Geelong can find its way to readers oceans away. These badges aren’t really about numbers; they’re about connection — the quiet thread between writer and reader, stretched across continents.

A comment longer than the original post. That one made me laugh. It’s proof of what I love most about this place: the conversations, the generosity, the way a single poem can spark a whole exchange of thoughts, memories, and stories.

And the Globe Trotter badge — 50+ countries — a reminder of the early days when I first realised people were actually reading.

None of these milestones happened in isolation. They grew from the kindness of readers, the encouragement of fellow writers, and the simple joy of sharing words. I’m grateful for every visit, every comment, every quiet moment someone spent with one of my poems.

Here’s to the next stretch of the journey — wherever the words decide to wander.

Over at Weekly Prompts, the Weekend Challenge is the word ” expressive.” To visit their fabulous site, please click >> Here.





In the long echo of these streets, after all the turns and tremors, I’m still here, listening for the next line.




Ivor Steven  ©  May 2026

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ivor20

G'day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I'm an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those personal thoughts, throughout and beyond my life as a Carer. I've been blogging for over 2 years, and writing poems for 19 years. Of course a lot of my poems are about my favourite subject Carole, but since I've been blogging my writings have become quite varied, humourous, mystical, observational, and even a few monster/horror poems.

95 thoughts on ““A Few Milestones Along the Way””

  5. Congratulations on your ten year milestone with WP! I am with you on the connections made on the blog! Like you I am always amazed that people enjoy reading my posts!

    This really sums up what blogging is all about:
    ” These badges aren’t really about numbers; they’re about connection — the quiet thread between writer and reader, stretched across continents.”

    I am heading for ten years blogging next month! Who would ever have dreamt that could happen?

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. Haha, I had no idea what I was doing when I started up my site, but I gradually bumbled my way along and learned how important it was to reply and comment my friend … a now of course, my site is one big snowball that keeps getting bigger and bigger 📖📘🌏💙

      Liked by 2 people

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  8. Congrats to you for your journey. You’ve been through so much.

    These achievements bring me a smile, too. It’s fabulous to see how our little space on the Internets spreads.

    Liked by 2 people

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  13. Congrats, Ivor! 🥳
    Your life journey has been challenging and you have persevered! 🙂 You’ve come so very far! 🙂
    Your WP journey has been a labor of love that is SO appreciated by so many of us who spend time your amazing blog-posting post…especially your poems! 🙂 But, your photos and your video choices are fabulous, too! You are so lovely to so many of us, so inspiring, so helpful! You bring the compassion and the smiles. You help us feel seen and heard. 🙂
    (((HUGS))) ❤️❤️❤️
    PS…Mr. Cohen has helped me through many a dark night.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Oh, dear Carolyn, I can’t thank you enough for all of your generous support over all these years, you’ve been with me not long after my WP Travel Logue began … (((HUGS))) 🥰💕💙📘🌏🐶

      Liked by 1 person

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  14. As a new follower of your blog, I loved reading your story. I’m sorry you had to go through so much but you certainly came out the other end in an amazing and amazing way! Leonard Cohen brings back so many memories for me. College in the mid 70s. He was one of my favorites.

    So wonderful that you have found this ability and that you share it with us nearly every day.

    I’m sorry to admit I have already forgotten the name of your dog. Could you please post another picture of him and his name and a little about him? As you can probably guess I’m a huge dog lover. Cats too. I usually interact much better with animals than people. But if animals are included in blog posts, then of course I’m attracted and usually find the author, interesting, insightful, and empathetic.

    Again, Ivor20, thank you so much for your continued beautiful words. I look forward to them every day!

    Liked by 1 person

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    2. Holes In Doors 

      My owner left me 
      Locked up in the courtyard 
      Nothing unusual about that 
      He left me some biscuit treats 
      And a full bowl of water 

      However, he forgot  
      To close the wire security screen 
      Well, best I break in 
      And protect our kennel 
      “What would you have done?” 

      I started clawing and chewing 
      At the exposed wood door 
      Firstly, I dug a small hole 
      An opening I could bite 
      My industrious teeth into 
      Whoops and drats! 
      There was another layer 
      On the inside too! 

      I wasn’t sure why 
      My boss told me off 
      When he arrived home 
      I thought I was only trying to help 
      He didn’t appreciate my creativity 

      Time passed and Christmas arrived 
      My extended family 
      Were joking and laughing 
      At my aunt’s gift for Dad 
      Woof, woof. “A Doggie Door for me!”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Thank you for your kind words, Sue … I started writing for self therapy and Carole enjoyed my old poems, but I didn’t begin my blog until a few years after she passed 💕📖

      Liked by 1 person

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  18. These are, important, milestones that we use, to mark our lives with, and, reminders like these, tell us, just how far we had, come, since the, start of our, journey on this path of, blogging, we will, keep on, venturing, until, we can’t, anymore, for we found our own, voices, that much needed, sense of, purpose through our, writings.

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. Congrats on a journey well done, Ivor. I’ve accumulated a few of these too. I think they’re fun and useful to mark our milestones with WordPress. 🥰🎈🎉

    Liked by 1 person

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  28. I pray 🙏 all is well with you on today, The LORD is faithful, worthy, and with HIM only all things are possible. Blessings always, Mtetar at basicissimple (Formerly projectsbymtetar on WordPress).

    Liked by 1 person

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  30. In 2019, I had respiratory arrest, a stroke and a myocardial infarction. It took about 3 years before I started feeling somewhat normal. Still not the same person that I was, but perhaps, a little smarter. The rehabs help, but truly, they are the beginning of recovery.

    Lots of hugs 🤗 to you in your recovery.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  34. What a beautiful and inspiring reflection, Ivor. Reaching a decade on WordPress and connecting with readers in over 50 countries is no small feat—it’s clear your words truly resonate across the miles. Thank you for sharing your story and your poetry with us. Here’s to many more milestones ahead! 📘🌏

    Liked by 1 person

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  37. Congratulations and Celebrations🥳 on your journey through life and blogging. A ten-year milestone reflects a strong commitment to writing and posting regularly. Keep sharing, and thank you for doing so. Writers often underestimate how many people they can inspire simply by being themselves and sharing their stories.

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