I should make one of those “How it started, How it ended” memes.
The end of 2022 and the celebration of my 55th birthday in late December of last year had a funny, if not prophetic theme. When I was growing up in Pittsburgh in the 1970s and 80s, the national speed limit was a topic of national conversation and the government was attempting to implement a 55 mile per hour national speed limit. I remember signs and billboards saying “55 Stay Alive” and such.
So naturally, my 55th birthday theme last year was 55 Stay Alive. We organized a transatlantic celebration with a party in New York City– I even found a vintage 55 mile per hour speed limit sign that we used to decorate the DJ booth at the party. And in Greece my closest friends gathered with me at Hotel Ermou where Anna Vissi even sang to me. It was quite the celebration to… Stay Alive.
Well, the onset of 2023 was filled with not one but two potholes in the highway that, well, almost killed me. I won’t bore you with the details (all of which I have been posting on my personal Facebook and Instagram accounts throughout the months).
Yes… instead of 55 stay alive… it became 55 almost died. Twice.
These health scares caused a pretty abrupt stop in my work with The Pappas Post, my news and articles that I enjoyed sharing, and most importantly, the story-telling. Because first and foremost, I’m a storyteller and The Pappas Post is the latest evolution or vehicle that I have used to share so many wonderful stories.
Years ago I started with a print magazine, which evolved into a “blog,” and eventually into this website, which at its peak, prior to my illnesses, was being read by hundreds of thousands of people on any given month. Of course, I branched out into other mediums like making films and producing a TV series and using my voice as a megaphone to share other people’s stories, including through charity and philanthropy, via the Greek America Foundation.
I also launched various products, each with a telling story behind them, like a unique type of olive oil from Crete, a rare teas, also from Crete and of course, my hand-made glass Christmas ornaments.
But writing has remained my core and it pained me that I was unable to continue during 2023’s health challenges which brought me closer to death not only once, but twice.
But I’m alive. And to be honest, feel healthier than ever, despite what I’ve experienced and this new clarity has helped me take a deep dive back into The Pappas Post and my writing. I’m also partnering with a digital agency called customedialabs to maintain the back-end technology of the site to modern standards to keep browsing not only user-friendly, but safe.
I’ve made the decision to remove annoying advertising from the website. You know what I’m talking about— those annoying video pop-ups and over-screen ads that many times prevented you from even reading the content I was trying to share with you. This doesn’t mean I won’t re-introduce some kind of in-post banners or non-intrusive ads. Ads are a financial lifeline that keep the lights on and keep the bills paid that are required to operate the website.
We also introduced the free-will subscription program a few years ago that many of you opted to support. This wasn’t necessary to read the content. It was more “philotimo-based” as YOUR way of supporting the work we were doing. I’m grateful to those of you who continue to give $5 a month, $10 a month, and more in some cases And I hope that more of you will decide to do this moving forward as I begin building and growing The Pappas Post again into its latest re-invention.
You can click here to join this support program if you would like to.
Over the next few weeks and months, you’ll be noticing some slight changes to the way you read the content both on your mobile devices, as well as your desktop. Eventually, and a bit later down the line in early 2024 we will be rolling out a complete re-design with one thing in mind— YOUR EXPERIENCE on the website. I have been working with my new partners at Customedialabs in Philadelphia and Larisa, Greece and keep repeating that the USER EXPERIENCE MUST BE NUMBER ONE on our priority list.
My personal commitment to you, the tens of thousands of readers who have loved my content over the years, who have hated my content over the years (but still continue reading it), is 100% truth and authenticity in my writing. And even though we may not always agree on everything, we only grow by learning and listening to others whose opinions may— or may not— align with ours.
Thank you for staying on board and being an important part of this global community that we’ve built together to share news and stories related to Greece, her history, heritage and culture. And if you haven’t already done so, please join our email newsletter list, which is currently being repurposed for regular, interesting and informative weekly communications with you directly to your email inbox. CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EMAIL.