Photo by Peter Lloyd on Unsplash

I had this great little website that I got built for free!  FREE – my favorite word!  One of those free website places, bless their little hearts, provided me with FREE space for a personal homepage. Now was that nice, or what?

We were so happy – just me, my website and my faithful surfers.  I worked hard to make my little personal website funny, cute and original.  Then I was “discovered” – overnight, almost.

That’s when found out about the price of success.  What I found out is that my “free” website is limited in the amount of traffic allowed.  I am given free space, but the space is limited in size and number of viewers I can have.

Now, I knew that all along, but it was never a problem.  My biggest problem was how to generate hits – not how to prevent them.  Who would have figured in their wildest dreams that a major humor directory would target my little site?

Suddenly I found out that FREE can be very expensive.  Seems when a user has too many “hits” on a “free” site; they are charged for the extra amount of time used.  Panic! My dream became a nightmare.  The more successful I became, the more money it cost me.

What a dilemma.  I wanted hits, didn’t I?  I should be happy, shouldn’t I?   Problem is, I wanted them for free.  FREE – you remember – FREE?  It used to be my favorite word.  Sure, I wanted success, but I wanted it for FREE.

Perhaps I need to explain.  People who build personal websites dream of everyone coming to see them, the world at their doorstep, so to speak.  We are a somewhat vain bunch.   Honestly now, who would put their life online except a prima donna?

Now, as you probably have figured by now, you don’t just throw up a website and achieve overnight fame. For a couple of years people did not come, except in nominal and ordinary numbers.  Then suddenly… THEY CAME…  They ALL came  – they all came at the same time. Like cattle they came to my site – in droves they came.  It was a stampede.  Run for your life.  Head for the hills!  We’ll be stomped into dust in no time!

My days of the freebee ended.  I had to close down my “free” site in an attempt to divert the traffic before I went bankrupt.  It was a rodeo.  I’m only thankful that I had already decided to open a commercial site — just a few days before the giant stampede.  Otherwise, I guess I’d just be a memory by now, a pile of dry bones in the vast dessert of experience.

But, I’ve just read my horoscope. It says I need to get ready to, “receive the good things coming my way from unexpected public opportunities,” and “my creative venture are starred for success.” My horoscope knows.  My astrological sign is Taurus, the Bull.  Just figures it is something to do with cows.  It must be destiny!

So… forward ho! I’m riding off into the sunset on the web to look for more FREE stuff.  Watch those cattle behind me and don’t let them get there first.  If I can just stay ahead of the herd, I know I’ll be okay.  Next time, I’ll check things out more.  Next time I’ll read the fine print.

Can’t get anything for free, you say?  Of course, you can.   My horoscope said so…. And I really, really do need a good website…. for FREE, of course, my favorite word!

©2000 Sheila Moss
Updated