We'll be friends until forever; just you wait and see.
~~~~~~~~~~ A. A. Milne, from Winnie the Pooh
The quote may be a bit sappy, but nonetheless true. Besides, if you don't like Winnie the Pooh, you're either a communist or an aggy.
Let me cut right to the chase; then I'll back-fill the details. After two full months of my traditional over-thinking and angst, I have decided that Sunday, July 7 will be my final TG. Never say never, I suppose, but for now there is no plan to resume writing in the foreseeable future. The easy explanation is that I have some things going on in my life, both personally and professionally, that are placing unexpected demands on my time and my energy, and I have reached a point at which I need to change some things. In the hope of continuing TG, I have reduced one set of responsibilities, and completely eliminated another, but those were temporary patches.
Allen Jones carried on TG for years, and in the time I've known him, he only took one vacation, a week back in '19 or '20, when he asked me to write for him. I have SOME insight into how he was able to write for so long, but his resources and methods were different from mine, and I cannot emulate them. He also was a pretty creative guy by nature, and of course had intimate knowledge of the process of recovery.
I am not at all creative, and what took Dippy 30 minutes almost always takes me two hours or more. It is and has always been a labor of love, but I'm at a point where I cannot give up that kind of time in the productive hours of the early morning. I did try writing at night, but that was a non-starter.
I've also had some great help from @T-Sipper 1972 (the Queen) and @Bmk1989 . When I took a few days off in April, they did the heavy lifting for TG, and I again express my gratitude. Unfortunately, neither of them is able to take over TG full-time. If any of you wish to give it a go, be my guest. I'll also tag @Jamaicashane who has authored a few Gift threads on his own. They were very well done; maybe he has interest. I also want to mention @ptborange , @Texan81 , and @The Sundance Kid . They have been regulars on TG for as long as I have , maybe longer, and were of tremendous help in the aftermath of Dippy's illness and passing.
I have made some dear friends through TG, and like Pooh says, those will last forever. Over time, several of you have communicated with me in confidence through PM or email. Most notably, some of you have asked me to pray for you. I cannot think of a greater honor than to be asked to lift someone up in prayer, and I will always be pleased to do that. I'm easy to find; let me hear from you.
I do want to thank @Ketchum for allowing us to have TG. Dippy explained the guidelines to me, and I am confident that we have stayed within them.
Enough rambling. Maybe this week we'll hire a BB coach, and have reason to celebrate. Have a great Sunday.
Blessings,
NT
John 15:13
~~~~~~~~~~ A. A. Milne, from Winnie the Pooh
The quote may be a bit sappy, but nonetheless true. Besides, if you don't like Winnie the Pooh, you're either a communist or an aggy.
Let me cut right to the chase; then I'll back-fill the details. After two full months of my traditional over-thinking and angst, I have decided that Sunday, July 7 will be my final TG. Never say never, I suppose, but for now there is no plan to resume writing in the foreseeable future. The easy explanation is that I have some things going on in my life, both personally and professionally, that are placing unexpected demands on my time and my energy, and I have reached a point at which I need to change some things. In the hope of continuing TG, I have reduced one set of responsibilities, and completely eliminated another, but those were temporary patches.
Allen Jones carried on TG for years, and in the time I've known him, he only took one vacation, a week back in '19 or '20, when he asked me to write for him. I have SOME insight into how he was able to write for so long, but his resources and methods were different from mine, and I cannot emulate them. He also was a pretty creative guy by nature, and of course had intimate knowledge of the process of recovery.
I am not at all creative, and what took Dippy 30 minutes almost always takes me two hours or more. It is and has always been a labor of love, but I'm at a point where I cannot give up that kind of time in the productive hours of the early morning. I did try writing at night, but that was a non-starter.
I've also had some great help from @T-Sipper 1972 (the Queen) and @Bmk1989 . When I took a few days off in April, they did the heavy lifting for TG, and I again express my gratitude. Unfortunately, neither of them is able to take over TG full-time. If any of you wish to give it a go, be my guest. I'll also tag @Jamaicashane who has authored a few Gift threads on his own. They were very well done; maybe he has interest. I also want to mention @ptborange , @Texan81 , and @The Sundance Kid . They have been regulars on TG for as long as I have , maybe longer, and were of tremendous help in the aftermath of Dippy's illness and passing.
I have made some dear friends through TG, and like Pooh says, those will last forever. Over time, several of you have communicated with me in confidence through PM or email. Most notably, some of you have asked me to pray for you. I cannot think of a greater honor than to be asked to lift someone up in prayer, and I will always be pleased to do that. I'm easy to find; let me hear from you.
I do want to thank @Ketchum for allowing us to have TG. Dippy explained the guidelines to me, and I am confident that we have stayed within them.
Enough rambling. Maybe this week we'll hire a BB coach, and have reason to celebrate. Have a great Sunday.
Blessings,
NT
John 15:13
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