Thursday, September 15, 2011

The time has come the walrus said

More than a month has gone by since my last, very brief post. In that time I've considered a topic here or there, composed a few lines as I waited for the bus, figuring at some point, I would sit down at a computer and post at least something. And then yesterday, I realized that maybe, perhaps, for now, I was done. Not that I don't have anything more to say, but for whatever reason, I'm not drawn to say it here. So, I am announcing the retirement of Pool Minnow, sort of.

Having a blog is a little like having a goldfish. It doesn't have to be high maintenance, but you do need to feed it a little bit every now and then. It can survive awhile without changing the water, but even if the fish is okay, you feel guilty and if you wait too long, well, it just dies. The whole time it takes up space on your counter and on your to-do list, and even if you stay on top of the care and feeding, someday, its still destined to be a floater. (I don't know if that's really a good analogy, its been over 20 years since I owned any fish.)

I was a true beginner when I started this blog, and I'm still several trips to the sun and back away from being an expert. I've managed to fumble my way towards the mediocre middle...still waiting for the day when I'd feel like I earned the right to even wear one of OMGWTF's "HACK" shirts. (I still consider myself "sub-hack"). But somehow it seems right to kind of finish things here, and move on to a new phase. I'll probably post from time to time, pimp the latest RadioLab story, that kind of thing. Maybe at some point I'll be inspired to come back or start even start a new blog (although I'm kind of attached to the name).

Blogging has been a great experience in ways I never imagined. I always knew it would be a good way to record my experience and reflect on my life in pool, but my favorite thing about it has been connecting with people (both virtually and in person), who I would have never otherwise met, most of whom are in my blogroll. So thanks for reading, commenting, subscribing and allowing me to be a part of your online procrastination. It has been an honor.

Well, see you in the pool hall! (But don't interrupt me when I'm practicing!!!:-)

Whee!

6 comments:

p00lriah. said...

for the short time i've been a reader of your blog, i must say it's kind of sad to see you (sort of) leave. with the dearth of quality pool blogs out there, having one of the really good ones disappearing makes for a sad occasion. maybe the mayor of poolville can make this the minnow day. :P

all kidding aside, i have learned some good lessons through your posts, some leading to new materials for my own blog. now that you're leaving, i'm forced to look at my own blog's mortality, for it too must go the way of the dust one day, i'm sure. still, i'm glad you made the announcement; at least we know the (somewhat) finality of your decision. a goodbye is better than no goodbye.

since i don't know who you are, if i interrupt your practice in the future by accident, i hope you'll pardon this bumbling neanderthal with no sense of grammar or of capital letters. i just hope omg will double her post output so i have something to kill my time with. :) thank you for your posts. it's been a great read.

(btw, sorry about the comment throwdown i had on your blog. didn't mean to get carried away.)

Gary Frerking said...

Awww... sad to see you go, you'll be missed for sure.

omgwtf said...

Ah, I shall miss you. I seriously feel the need to throw a retirement party for you. :-) Your pool blog was the first one I read on a regular basis.

When my blog first got popular, a lot of people said, "What's the big deal? I can write, too!" But, as you know, writing well and doing so on a consistent basis can be very difficult and time-consuming.

Congrats on moving forward and I hope -- nay, I KNOW -- you will put your free time (and free space in your mind) to good use.

Have fun!

(Should you feel the need to post every once in a blue moon, please do!)

Melinda said...

While I commend you for doing what you need to do, I must say your blog was one of the best, and I will miss you.

I, too, will welcome any "extra" posts if you have the time.

Good luck in all your adventures in life!

poolminnow said...

Wow, you guys say such nice things....that means a lot to me. I will definitely still post if I'm inspired. After a break, I've thought that I might think about twitter as an option. I often have short things I want to say, and the short blog posts seemed to take more time than I expected, but just weren't that satisfying to me. And I'll definitely be around in the comments sections of all of your blogs!

p00lriah. said...

tumblr! google+ is good too. and of course twittoi. :)