5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Thunderbirds are GO.

One of the best things about having a blog is the living journal aspect. I have loved looking back on the year that was and reminding myself what got me fired up. There’s never any grand plan on this blog and so I also enjoyed seeing the type of material that you enjoy reading the most, and any themes emerging. 2015 was the year of big life changes for me and a refinement and clarification on direction generally. This lent itself to me (predominantly) writing personal anecdotes and observations rather than the short stories that dominated 2014’s top five posts on this blog. It is a source of endless fascination to see which posts do well, whilst others flounder.

Here are my top blog posts of 2015 by number of hits:

Number 5 – #ShoutYourAbortion

I had a lot to say about this social media campaign when it hit my newsfeed from the USA. It was one of those issues that got me so angry. I wrote my views in a single sitting of an hour. Before pressing publish I did quite a bit of research around the issue to make sure I had my facts straight such was the nature of the global outrage against the two women who shouted loudly and proudly about their terminations. To this day the Shout Your Abortion hashtag is the top search term in my Stats since my records began in 2013.

Number 4 – Miscarriage: The Little White Rose

This was the hardest post to see cropping up on my Top Five of 2015. I can’t bring myself to read the post’s words now but I’m pleased it did well, if only to have shared my experiences of miscarriage with a view to helping others as well as myself. I pressed publish on what would have been my due date. The words were unedited from the real time events unfolding on this at the end of 2014. I was overwhelmed by your messages of support and empathy across social media. Thank you.

Number 3 – The paedophile next door

I consider this post to be one of the most controversial I have written and certainly the most taboo. It is the true story of me trying to get my head around one of my longest standing friends being convicted on paedophila charges. It made me question whether there could ever be a way to forgive him.

Number 2 – Sorry, I would stop but I’m in a bit of a rush

This was a fun post to write and it seemed to strike a chord with many of you. It questioned our new preoccupation with constant sensory overload and whether memories of fax machines and sitting in by the landline waiting for it to ring was really as romantic as it sounds.

Drumroll…..

Number 1 – What it feels like to have a stalker

The disappearance of a student nurse from a nightclub less than a mile from my house prompted me to share the true story of my experiences of having a stalker as a student. Thankfully, I am here to share the tale. Sadly, Karen Buckley’s remains were found on farmland not long after this post went live. Her murderer was jailed for life in April 2015. My post went viral.

Well that’s it folks. Thanks so much for your support and readership over the course of the year. Here’s to 2016! Feel free to share the top blog post from your own blog below should you wish. Was it the one you expected it to be?

[Image: http://www.getunseen.com]