I'm off to seek the Holy Grail.
I cannot tell you why.
Remember, please, when I am gone,
'Twas Aspiration led me on.
Tiddlely-widdley tootle-oo,
All I want is to stay with you,
But here I go. Good-bye.
-Clarence Day
UPDATE: OK, I probably owe my readers a little more context than this. The poem above was recited by Charles Kuralt on his last telecast on CBS Sunday Morning, back in 1994; and the title of this post will be recognized by fans of Calvin and Hobbes. That probably says it all.
I've been weighing this in my mind for a long time, and basically, aside from a few moments when my old blogging instincts try to rear their heads, my state of mind right now is that blogging has become that most horrible of things: a chore. I'm basically saying the same things over and over again, I don't feel that I'm bringing anything especially new to the blogging table these days. I figured that a few days off would solve the problem, as it's always done before; but this time, the few days off became a week without anything largely substantial, and then it became another week.
And the thing is: I didn't much miss the work of blogging. That seems to me a pretty major tell-tale sign: it's time for me to stop, at least for a good, long while. How long? I do not know.
If it sounds like I'm being cagey, maybe I am; after all, I'm not definitively stating my permanent exit from Blogistan. Well, Blogistan's a funny place; one can come and go at will, and for right now at least, Blogistan's a place where one doesn't need a passport or some kind of funky ID card with embedded RFID chip to enter. And while it can be an utterly maddening place, it can also be supportive and surprising and moving and fun. I suspect I'll return at some point, but I'm not going to choose a date. I thought about doing that, but that smacks of a deadline, and I don't want any of that for right now.
As ever, I thank all those who read this blog, link this blog, comment on this blog, or whatever. And I'm not going offline: I'll still maintain my e-mails, I'll still be putting photos on Flickr occasionally (one of these days I need to renew my Pro account, which expired a few weeks back), and I'll still be active on Facebook. (And yes, there's always MySpace, but that thing's just a kludgey mess and I just don't much like it.) Anyone who wishes to contact me is more than welcome to do so via any of those channels.
I suppose that's all. I'd say more, but why bother? Until next time, then.
37 comments:
Ummm, I hope this does not mean what it sounds like it means....
And no fair pointing to my own hiatus-most of your stuff is actually worth reading.
um...
Well, FWIW, I disagree that you're saying the same thing over and over. Certainly, concepts will recur, but that's the way we know who you are over time, by what warrants another mention.
On the other hand, if it's a chore, bag it for a while. Stuff will happen that you will find compelled to note, whether personal or political or from the word of entertainment (I use that term broadly to include literature).
So I hope you get your blogging mojo back.
You will be seriously missed by a lot of people.
::sniff::
I enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks and good luck.
You know I'll still probably check your blog every day for a while, then taper off to once or twice a week before I finally give up.
You'll be back, either the first time you get serious annoyed about something or you see something incredibly, awesomely cool. :-)
That should say "seriously annoyed". But you knew that.
Ugh. The fact that you said *work* is telling. Something you love should never feel like *work*
Best luck to you, we'll still be here!
Presidential election...
Football...
When you start composing blog posts in your mind on a regular basis and actually want to share them with us again, we hope you'll be back.
Best wishes!
Hope the time off from blogging helps to rejuvenate you. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Jaq, if you were to update your blogger setup so that it provided an RSS feed (which I imagine is straightforward, as all of the other blogger blogs I read have RSS feeds) then those of us who use RSS readers will automatically be notified when/if you post anything.
There are two RSS feeds available for this blog. You can find the links to either in the sidebar. One's Atom, and one...isn't. (Whatever that means! :)
You'll be missed. I do hope that if you come a cross something uber-share-worthy, you will give in to temptation.
Happy living.
~sb
You will be missed.
Come baaaaaack! :)
According to Forbes, Buffalo is one of the 10 fastest-dying cities in America, the only NYS city on the list.
Hey pal, I totally do understand.
Of course I'll miss you - but I'll keep minding the back pages from time to time till your are ready to come back.
KEEP WRITING even if not for the blog. You have a gift.
Hugs to the family and a pie for you from me.
B.
When I read this I thought about you no longer blogging (and also about Mary Kunz Goldman, writing her book):
http://waiterrant.net/?p=504
i'll keep my eyes out for you.
OK, very funny, but I think this joke has gone on long enough...
Seriously though, when you are ready to start again, you shouldn't feel like you need to post X-amount every week. I think most of us would be happy with anything you give. Don't have a plan to blog. If you've got something to say, post it, if you're not inspired, who cares? Don't make it a chore. Your last couple of paragraphs sound like you know that though.
People will miss you, more than your posts. That isn't a dig on your writing, by the way.
Ok, I know you said you were not going to post until after the election, but I CANNOT, WILL NOT believe you don't have something to say about Palin and/or her dog sledding husband. Come on J, GIVE!
I've already commented on a bunch of other blogs about Sarah Palin. Let it suffice to say that I think McCain's pick makes Bush the Elder's pick of Dan Quayle look like a wise choice of a fine statesman by comparison, and that I think a McCain presidency will likely be MORE embarrassing than the Bush the Younger one we've endured for eight years now.
There, happy? :)
So happy I'm quivering. Is there some magic techno trick that will lead me to where ever you post on OTHER people's blogs? I don't give a rip WHERE I read it. I just want to track your sardonic humor, your bad taste in music (Yes, I hate ABBA!) and your Buffalo sensibility about food, football, etc. I'm going into withdrawl here not having KS words to read. Bread crumb trail please!
I understand. I'm too preoccupied these days, too, to blog. And blogging from work is a big no-no on a lot of levels.
I'll look for you on facebook.
Actually, this is on the RSS feed issue. Look at my site, and I put many of my favorite bloggers in the new Blogger links thing and their RSS feed tells me when they last updated. The ones that don't tend to be non-Blogger/WordPress sites such as Fred Sez (Hembeck). But yours doesn't show up either. think there's some setting that will make that possible?
Oh, wow... somehow I missed seeing this entry and I've been waiting around for over a month for you to post something new. I finally decided there must be something wrong with my aggregator, so I came over and found... this.
I certainly understand your feelings. I've come close to cashing in the blogging chips a couple times myself lately. That said, I have enjoyed your writing, especially your reworking of The Phantom Menace and hope you'll return one of these days, when we least expect it, no doubt.
Until then, take care and be happy...
And the switch at the top of the window to "YES WE CAN!!!" means...?
Though I understand your reasons for a hiatus, seeing that change made me wonder if you were back.
Best wishes from Michigan.
And the switch at the top of the window to "YES WE CAN!!!" means...?
Barack Obama's campaign slogan. I'm so pissed at John McCain that it's a good thing I'm not blogging, because that's all this blog would be right now, and I don't think the world needs another political blog. So it looks like for right now, I'm silent until Election Day at the earliest. (And later than that, if we actually elect these people.)
Ok, if not the election...Tom Brady?
Still checking to see if you're "back from your break"...? Hope all is going well.
After all these years we finally agree on something political and you're not blogging anymore. [sigh]
More important: I noticed that the Bills won yesterday.
Cmon, the Bills are Three and frickin' ZERO
Damn, I need to get a life! Last night I had a dream that I came here and there was a new post up. I can't remember what it was about though. Football, maybe.
I'm surprised you haven't returned for at least one post about the Bills!
-Mark in KC
Doesn't your blog have an RSS feed? My Blog List can't find it.
The mystical elements of timing and irony again rear their ugly heads. As I am trying to get back into the swing of things, you feel the need to depart. I understand; I have been there for the same reasons and different ones. The revolving door of blogdom gets us all from time to time and I look forward to the day it ushers you back in.
At this point I'm so fed up with politics I no longer care who wins - we will have problems and blessings both no matter who is in office. I just want it to be over so you will come back to us!
LJB
Post a Comment