All good things must come to an end. And yes, on the balance, my time here has been a good thing, even if I've often wanted to tear my hair out (well, what's left of it; damn male pattern baldness), even if I've gotten involved in my fair share-- perhaps more than my fair share-- of pie fights.
I started a new job a few months ago, and a few months from now that job will almost certainly include a professional blog. My screen name here was, well, frankly kind of stupidly obviously connected to my real name, though it was made at a time in my life when I never imagined I'd be representing anyone but myself professionally. But some opportunities are simply too good to turn down.
So I'm certainly retiring this screen name, and probably retiring from active participation in DailyKos. I've deleted most of my diaries (except for a handful that simply mean too much to me to get rid of). If you want to read my final ruminations, follow me over the jump.
I found almost all of what I consider now to be my best work (in other words, the stuff I kept) was either rescued or made the rec list-- which speaks well to our mechanisms for drawing attention to diaries-- but a lot of my recommended diaries weren't things I was proud enough of to keep. The rec list is a fascinating thing, and I ended up deleting more of my recommended diaries than I kept; all too often it seems that the rec list is more about pie fights and posturing than it is about anything constructive.
I won't much miss the posturing.
At its best, this is a community. And I mean that on every level. I've seen people reach out and support strangers (and friends they've never actually met face to face) in ways to truly express a generosity of spirit that will be hard for me to forget.
At its best, this place is prescient, seeing things days, weeks, even months before most of the rest of the world. I've said it before and I'll say it again: listening to bondad (and Paul Krugman) on the economy saved me a bundle of money. For that matter, as I looked back at my own diaries and remembered the conversations they were taking part in, we were very right from day one that Obama wasn't going to be good at handling LGBT issues. We knew it in 2007, and it's still true in 2010.
At its best, this place is inspiring. Hearing the stories of what others across the nation do to back up their beliefs is humbling, motivational, and exciting.
At its best, this place is an education. I've had conversations that have genuinely changed my perspective, made me realize ways in which I could communicate more effectively, opened my mind. I've read diaries that have whetted my voracious appetite for learning and led me to whole new worlds.
At its best, this place is unforgettable. So I'll endeavor to remember Dailykos at its best, and I'll leave these diaries that I think represent me at my best. My email will remain in my profile for anyone who wishes to reach out, and while it's possible I'll come back under a new screen id to participate, it's far more likely that I won't.
So long, and thanks for all the pie.
ETA: Thanks for putting my last diary on the rec list; it's very touching.