Happy Birthday MGO

 

How time flies!  Five years, a quarter of a million hits and five hundred-fifty posts later, My Greek Odyssey blog is still going.  Fueled by a love of things Greek and of Greeks in particular, the search for Ithaka continues. Many thanks to the all those friends and readers who have made my life richer and who continue to read my musings. Best wishes to all.

                                                                   Stavros

Comments

[Iris]

Merci Stavros !
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iris-Pittaco/140789884939

[greg birbil]

keep them coming, and well done, I know how hard it is...BRAVO

[Ellopos]

Best wishes! Keep sharing....

[Stavros]

@ George

When I once celebrated 10,000 hits you wished me 100,000, Thanks for you support through the years and the example of your own very fine blog.

@ Greg

Blogs are like children, after you pour your soul into one for awhile you have difficulty letting go. Eventually however that day will come, but not yet. :) Best wishes to you as well, keep writing.

@ Iris

Thanks for coming back again and again.

[Nikos]

Thank you for enriching our lives with this wonderful blog. Never miss an update.

[Stavros]

Many thanks Niko. I'll do my best to keep the posts coming.

[Anthimos]

Thank you for all your effort with this blog. I have never met you but feel like I somehow know you. All the best to you & your family.

[Stavros]

You're very kind to say so. Writing is a form of expression like painting, music or sculpture. If the creator does not have an audience to share his creation with, how sad that would be. Thanks to you and so many others for making the effort to read what I write. Hopefully through the effort of writing and reading, we learn about each other and about ourselves. As monastics often say: "May it blessed."

[Istvan]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
They are always appreciated. Please keep on
posting your excellent blogs.
As we say may God keep your good habit.
Best wishes to you and your family

[Stavros]

Istvan,

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "Our best thoughts come from others." Best wishes to you and your family as well. May God always hold you all in the hollow of His hand. That is not a Greek saying but a good one nonetheless. :)

[Ares Demertzis]

Stavro:

Thank you for last year; looking forward to many more.

Be well, keep writing, file mou.

[Stavros]

Ela Ares,

I have always considered you a kindred spirit of sorts since we share more than a few things in common. I am honored to have your writing included in my blog and encourage you to keep on writing. Hope you are feeling better. Na se kala, file.

[T T]

Stavros,

Happy 5th! I hope we'll be celebrating your blog book soon!

T

[Stavros]

Thanks T, I've given myself the end of this year as a deadline.

[Dimitri]

Great site Stavros and I've only flicked through it!

I am a decendant of an Anatolian Greek that fled the first fire of Smyrna and ended up in Northern Cyprus, then his family was also pushed out.....

I was interested to read that you were persecuted by your olive skin colouring in the U.S and isn't it weird that Western people believe that "old" Greeks were a fair looking race. Byron was disappointed on his visits to Greece!

Anyway I'm looking forward to looking through your site!

Dimitri

[Stavros]

Welcome Dimitri,

It sounds that despite having lost his homeland twice your ancestor managed to land on both feet. The essence of Greekness is what is in your head and heart, not where you live.

I wouldn't say I was "persecuted." At least no more than other kids who wore glasses or couldn't hit a baseball. Let's just say that I kind of stuck out like a sore thumb in the Irish Catholic neighborhood I grew up in. Not only did I manage to survive but was able to hold my own. Thanks in large part to my immigrant parents who made me feel special about being Greek.

Hope you enjoy many more posts.

[Dimitri]

Thanks for your welcome Stavros.

Yes, I agree with your sense of pride and the identity it gives us.
We are have an obdurate character and can always hold our own no matter the challenge. Our history proves that. Unfortunately we have been ravaged and dispersed since the fall of Constantinople.

I would like to ask you if you know of the nickname "nassos" that was given to Anatolian Greeks that were of dark complexion and had black hair?
There was also a label "kara" which is Turkish for black given to Karaman Greeks or it may be the area Karaman, which was Southern Turkey.
My Great grand father was called Kara'mitri (karaDimitri)to state that he was an Anatolian (Byzantine Greek).

Dimitri

[Stavros]

The study of Greek names could fill a volume or two unfortuantely my knowledge is less than rudimentary.

[NOCTOC]

As a bloger myself, I know how difficult it is to run and blog, let alone for 5 years. I wish you to be well and strong and continue posting because I am sure your posts enrich and help many people. Happy Birthday to your Blog!

[Stavros]

Thanks. Another blogger helped get me started and encouragement from readers and other bloggers like you who I see as role models have kept me going. Best wishes to you and your very fine blog also.

[gineen]

happy fifth birthday! Thanks for all your posts and sharing your perspective with us on the web.

[Stavros]

Thanks, best wishes to you and your blog as well.