OK, OK…Enough already!

Since announcing the impending closing of the Gazette, I’ve received many emails, comments and trackback links regarding that decision. After reading and re-reading them, and upon further reflection, I believe the following sums up my reaction.

I’ve never seen such a simpering mass of whiny, infantile mewling since Hillary confronted Bill about Monica. As that great thespian, Bruce Willis, would say, it’s time to call the waaahmbulance.

What? Oh, not you guys…you guys are great! Beyond great, really. I’m talking about me, and my dunce-headed decision to stop doing something that I enjoy just because…well, never mind why. It’s not really important, after all.

When I made that post, I really intended to call it quits, and I really didn’t think it would draw much reaction. Oh, I figured I might hear from a couple of folks — most of you are too nice not to at least say goodbye. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect to hear from So. Many. People!

Sometimes, you just need a little help seeing the obvious. That help may come in the form of people you respect — even though you’ve never met them — taking time out of their busy lives to write a note of encouragement. Sometimes, you need the attention-getting advice burned into the side of a two-by-four and applied to the side of your head — again, by someone who had no good reason to waste the energy, other than wanting to save you from your own foolishness. I got both, and more.

Thanks to you, my friends, I’ve decided to reverse my decision and keep the Gazette online. I really do need a break, to take care of some new things and to deal with some old ones, so I’m going to be posting less frequently for awhile — let’s think of it as an intermittant sabbatical — but I’m not going away.

And I do want to express my sincere appreciation to each one of you who seemed to know me better than I knew myself. I really didn’t expect what you did, and I owe you an apology for that, because it shows a lack of respect. I hope I can make it up to you, and I hope you’ll continue to encourage each other like you’ve encouraged me.

I don’t know if the blogosphere will be improved by this course you’ve set me on…but I am. Bloggers don’t have to change the world in order to be important. Sometimes…often…it’s enough just to change one attitude. You guys helped me do that, and I thank you — again!

P.S. About four hours after El Posto Estupido, I met my My Lovely Bride for our biweekly lunch at Kuo’s (Hot and Sour Soup and Hunan Beef). I didn’t open my fortune cookie, so she put it in her purse for an afternoon snack. Later that evening, about the time some of your encouraging communications began to appear, she happened to mention that my fortune cookie contained a rather strange platitude.

Now, I’m not one to attribute a lot of minor things to the intervention of the Creator of the Universe (and if I played the lottery, it sure wouldn’t be with the numbers on the back of cookie fortunes). OTOH, the Almighty does sometimes move in mysterious ways. But, in a fortune cookie? Well, you be the judge…

Does God speak through fortune cookies?

OK, I’m not prideful enough to think that any of you actually look up to me. But, still…

14 comments

  1. A blog is a terrible thing to waste…

    Okay, so it’s not buying an ambulance for Magen David Adom, but we’ve encouraged Eric to keep the Fire Ant Gazette in business! Glad to know I had a hand in saving a blog from an untimely demise. 🙂 And…

  2. Two Good Blogs Not Closing

    Two regular stops of mine are not disappearing after all. Robyn and The Fire Ant Gazette. Robyn was a victim of serious troll attacks (which she alludes to but does not detail – not that it’s any of our damm…

  3. I’m glad you’re not quitting. I just discovered your blog!
    No one’s good and no one’s bad at blogging. It’s just thoughts online. That’s the only way I could keep doing it. If I thought I had to change the world with every post… my head would explode.

  4. You posted that from your heart and a part of you is shining through into the blue nowhere maybe archived for eternity, who knows. Thank you for continuing to share you with us. You have something special or we wouldn’t keep coming back.

  5. What can I say? Thanks again. Your comments encourage and challenge…just the fact that you’ve taken the time to drop by and leave them means a lot.
    Umm…but I’m still processing Daniel’s verse. Don’t rightly recollect that anyone’s ever left poetry on this humble publication. Makes it seem a little classier than it really is, I guess. 😉
    Don’t let it go to your heads…but you guys are the best!

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