Ten years ago today I published my first post for “Limping in the Light”. In that span, I’ve published 389 posts. (There are a few more that never saw the virtual light of virtual day.) This is #390.
It’s also the last one.
“What?” you may ask. And well you may. Well, here’s the deal:
First, ten years is a nice round number. I’m wicked OCD about round numbers. I recently stopped hosting a fundraiser for Haiti after ten years even though it had raised tens of thousands of dollars to help Haitian families start businesses and become independent. The decision was made (not by me, but with my 100% agreement) to end that wonderful tradition because it was time. All good things must end and ten years felt right. Just like it does here and now.
Second, ten years is a looooong time. Honestly, ten years doesn’t seem that long to me anymore, but there’s no denying that it is. In the past ten years I’ve…
- written seven books,
- dropped the MS meds, the cane, and the Bioness FES device,
- ridden my bicycle almost 20,000 miles,
- said goodbye to both my parents,
- said hello to four of the most adorable, most amazingly wonderful grandchildren.
Finally, the title of the blog is no longer appropriate. I’m still in the Light (by the grace of God) but I no longer limp (also by the grace of God).
Even though this is the end of LITL, as I affectionately and lazily refer to this blog, I have, as the inimitable Tom Rush sings, no regrets. There’s no shame in 389… make that 390 posts in Blog World. I’ve seen many blogs, started with good or ill intentions, that fizzled into nothingness, some with no more than a single post. I cast no aspersions on those folks; keeping up an independent blog can be a thankless proposition.
For the two or three of you who actually read this thing, I thank you. When someone takes the time to read something I’ve written, be it a 300 word post or a 300 page novel, I’m touched and humbled. I sincerely appreciate the time and concentration you’ve given these scribblings.
The time has come, the walrus said, to speak of many things. But to write about them no longer. It’s not like I’m out of things to say. Those who know me will tell you that I always have something to say. For better or worse, I usually say it. To make my point, there are well over 300 ideas in my running list of potential writing topics that I have yet to and never will expound on. (Count your blessings.)
If you find yourself bored to distraction for lack of reading material, despair not! There will always be more words of mine to distract you all the more. You can go back in the archives of this blog and reread the old crap. With my age and MS working against me, I find I can read the same thing many times and it’s new again each time.
Also, my other blog, “Scribbling in the Sand” will continue to pour forth my aimless ramblings along with the usual shameless self-promotion of my published works and announcements of my charitable pursuits. Because LITL will no longer be around, at times I’m sure I’ll use that platform to continue my incoherent and inane jabbering on all the topics I’ve covered here: MS, Jesus, Haiti, and whatever else that strikes my fancy.
Then there are my books. Buy’em all! Read’em all! That should keep you busy and keep me rolling in the residuals. 🙂
But now it’s time to bring things to a close in LITL land, the end of line, the last hurrah, no mas, fare thee well, sayonara, adios, later, hasta la vista baby, toodle-oo, TTFN, adieu, that’s all she wrote, nevermore…
Ciao.