The 3rd Anniversary of Barefoot and Progressive

Hard to believe it’s been that long, but Barefoot and Progressive was born three years ago this week.

It’s entirely impossible for me to express what this little website has meant to me without getting sappy, therefore I’ll spare you. But hopefully it has meant something to you and we’ve been able to do some good in our crazy little corner of the earth called Lexington/Kentucky.

There’s absolutely no way I could have pulled off B&P without the help of David and Terri, without whom this site would have evaporated into nothingness during my year plus in DC. I’ll figure out a way to repay them, someday. Although Jim Newberry is probably already thinking of ways to pay back Mr. Schankula as we speak and may beat me to it.

Also, I’d like to thank all of the readers who have sent in tips over the past year. The best decision I ever made for this site was to put up an email for people to send me leads. It’s difficult to count all of the stories I’ve broken that started with an email telling me where to look. Not to mention the photoshops of Steve Beshear riding a T-Rex and unicorn.

Last and certainly not least, I’d like to thank the people who come to read Barefoot and Progressive every day, every week. 2010 was a frustrating year of blog-related poverty, but one of the things that kept me going day after day were the thousands of people who kept coming back to the site to read what I had to say. I just can’t thank you enough for sticking with me (and especially those of you who click on that beautiful donation button in the right column, but you’re all cool with me). Little did I know when I made B&P three years ago that it would become the most read and respected political blog in Kentucky by 2011. There’s just no way that could have happened without the positive encouragement of you.

Oh, what the heck. A big thanks to Jim Newberry, too.

I have no idea where the site will go from here, but either way some changes are around the corner. In one month, this site may vanish, or it might pick up speed to reach new heights in trouble making and rabble rousing, or it might carry on without me at the helm. Stay tuned, I guess.

In closing, I thought I’d share something. My brother’s family is in town for a few days this week, and my precocious 8-year old niece insisted on interviewing me about my website (she plans on being a school teacher, reporter, and fashion designer). She might possibly be the next Mike Wallace/Christiane Amanpour, as she just brainstormed these questions and follow up question on her own. Anyway, below is the transcript of her hard-hitting interview. I think she took a few liberties in the transcript, but that’s the Sonka way.

Thanks again, and maybe we can do 3 more.