ONE BRIEF EMAIL CHANGED EVERYTHING

Many of you probably aren’t aware that the reason why I started this blog a few years ago was because my weekly newspaper column, “My Life,” which I began writing for Neighborhood News back in August of 1994, never was included in the paper’s online edition. I wanted people who didn’t live in the area, or those who spent the winter months in Florida, to still be able to access my column and continue to follow my adventures.

Well, a few days ago, I received an email from my editor that said, “It has been decided that after the July 21^st paper, we will no longer be running your column in the Neighborhood News papers.”

With that one brief email, my entire life changed.

First of all, I never saw it coming. I had planned to continue writing my column until I was too old and feeble to string two words together to form a coherent sentence. But obviously the paper had other ideas. I guess what hurt more than being “discontinued” (which made me feel like and old, outdated item on a closeout sale at Wal-Mart), was the method in which I was informed – a brief email. Even a quick phone call would have been better. Sure, it still would have hurt, but not quite as much.

So the dilemma I’m now facing is, if I no longer have a weekly newspaper column to write, then that means I’ll have nothing to post on this blog. I mean, “My Life” has been put to rest by the newspaper, so should I also put this blog to rest and give them both a decent burial?

The good thing about writing for the newspaper was the ever-present deadline. I had to write a column every week – rain or shine, good mood or bad, and even when I was running a fever or battling the stomach flu. But I always met my deadline. The other good thing about writing for the paper was I got paid to do it, which was an added incentive. This blog, unfortunately, doesn’t earn anything…and I really need money to keep my dogs supplied with Dog Chow, especially since one of my friends (and I use the term loosely) said to me,  “Gee, you live so far out in the country, if you were to drop dead, nobody would even know it. And by the time anyone found you, your dogs probably would already have eaten your body.”

Since she said that, I have made it my top priority to keep my dogs VERY well fed at all times.

So after thinking long and hard about my current situation, I’m sorry to have to inform you, my much-cherished readers, that I have come to a very difficult decision…I’ve decided that you’re still going to be stuck with me for a while! Yep! I’m going to continue to write this blog. I’m just not happy unless I’m writing, so if I were to quit, I’m positive I would suffer from severe symptoms of withdrawal.

I guess that means I’d better go write my next column to post on here!  I must confess, I haven’t been much in the mood for writing humor since I was dismissed by the paper, but I’m feeling more positive every day. So I promise to post something new within the next few days. And I’m also going to try to continue to post a new column every Friday. There are no guarantees, however, because I no longer have an editor to remind me of my deadline. But I’ll give it my best effort. I promise.

I’ll be back shortly!