The words for today’s column have been hard to find. I guess that’s not surprising though. I have always struggled with goodbyes. They make me cry.
On Aug. 6, 2010 my first Viewpoints column appeared in the Journal Review. I was so thrilled to have been asked.
I have talked many times about how fast time goes by. You know, it really is true, the older I get, the faster it goes. As time continues to slip by I’m rapidly approaching retirement age. It truly has come so fast. For some time now, I’ve been thinking about when a good time to retire my column and close this chapter of my life would be, and the time is now.
I have learned so much about so many things while writing my columns.
It has been a privilege to work with such talented, interesting, intelligent people over the years.
Important chapters of life tend to be the most comfortable, and the most beloved. These chapters feel like home because they are filled with so much personal history and multiple versions of yourself. For all those who have ever had one foot planted and one out the door, you know what I’m talking about. Saying goodbye to a significant chapter of your life kind of feels like you’re leaving one version of yourself behind while preparing to grow into the next.
From the beginning I have saved every email and Letter to the Editor, even those which offered gentle correction or a different point of view. To the people I’ve met and all the readers who have kept me company and offered encouragement over the years, I say thank you, and this is the part where I cry as I type.
So as they say, the rest is history, and I thank you again so much for reading.
Gloria Wall can be reached at gloriawall02@yahoo.com.
