Five years at ChicagoNow: And they said it would never last
The day is May 11, 2013. Five years ago today. It was a day that will live in infamy.
That was the day my words first showed up in this forum. Yep...today is my fifth anniversary at ChicagoNow. Hey look...here's my cake. There's enough for all of you. You all like chocolate? And here's a box nicely wrapped. Hmmm...must be something made of wood since that's the five year symbol. I don't want to be rude so I'll open it later.
Five years....five entire years. WOW! There are times when it seems like I just started here. There are times when it seems like I've been here forever and too long.
I admit that I never imagined this as a five year thing. My relationships never last that long...with anything. I have a short attention span. I get bored easily. I'm always looking for something new and I what I usually think is something better.
And yet I'm still here.
A few months ago, I made a decision that I was going to end this blog. I figured five years was enough plus I was unhappy with some of things that were happening here and at TRONC. The plan had been to say goodbye on the five year anniversary date. Plans change!
I thought it over and decided while I'm not thrilled with some of the changes, I can live with them. None of them are deal breakers. It turns out new isn't necessarily better. Here's why.... a. If I'm working on a play or a book, they frown on me interjecting my views about Donald Trump. Go figure. b. If I'm writing a piece for a Beatles website, they edit out my snarky musings about Kellyanne Conway. Again, go figure. c. No one here has ever told me what to write or tried to stop me from publishing anything...ANYTHING!! d. This is my writing home. This is my writing family. Even though you have issues and disputes with them, they're still family. Yeah, it's a dysfunctional family much of the time, but it's mine.
Besides all that, where else can a guy like me be read in over 190 countries world-wide and by almost 2,000 people each week. That never fails to amaze me and I'm usually grateful for this.
So kids, I'm going to stick it out. Who knows what's going to happen with ChicagoNow. There are days when I expect to receive a notice that we're closing shop and other days when I feel like we're better than ever and will be around another ten years. It's probably somewhere in between. But until that day comes, you're stuck with me. I'm going down with the ship.
So how about we share some champagne to celebrate the last five years and have another sip to see what the next five years will bring. See you back here on May 11, 2023. The gift for the tenth anniversary is tin. You have plenty of time to figure out what to get me.
Related Post: It's My Blog's Birthday
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