Farewell ... kinda

(c) 2010 by Steve Martaindale
For all the thought I’ve given this, I don’t know where to start. After 18 years as a self-syndicated newspaper columnist, how do I start my last column?

Well, I guess that will do.

This will be the last regular newspaper column for A Texas Voice and the natural temptation to glance over my shoulder produces too many thoughts to assimilate properly.

First, though, is my continual amazement people care enough to read these musings. Second is their patience in allowing me the freedom to write about anything I want – anything.

It seems the more greatly appreciated topics have been about everyday life, those that cause readers to say, “I experienced something like that once.” Such were usually about rather mundane things, like all of the warning labels encountered while putting together a driveway basketball goal. Many have been about home life, such as cleaning the house or battling garden pests.

There have been attempts to spread information and ideas, like the Move Over Law where we’re required to give room (or slow down) when passing emergency vehicles. Or the practice of friendly Texas drivers to move to a safe shoulder to allow faster cars to pass, and for the passing driver to offer a wave or blinking lights to say thanks.

I’ve tried to encourage shoppers to skip big chain stores in favor of local merchants. I’ve groaned and bemoaned the deterioration of spelling and grammar skills.

I’ve tried to sell my belief that pro-life and pro-choice would help everybody if they concentrated on the root problem – unwanted pregnancies.

Perhaps my greatest efforts recently have been trying to unmask hate speech posing as political discourse and to encourage people to double-check rumors before passing them along, especially if those rumors support their personal beliefs.

Sometimes, I’ve invited readers for a more personal visit and my family has been unbelievably understanding, though there were times I heard, “I hope you’re not going to write about this.”

It’s not like I’ve ever totally opened our home to public scrutiny, though some readers seem to think so. I love the story from my mother-in-law, who when chatting with a new acquaintance somehow established the fact that she and I were related. She then mentioned that Leah and I had a grandson.

The other woman didn’t seem to believe her. “If he had a grandbaby, he would have told us,” my mother-in-law quoted the woman as saying.

Indeed, I had not told readers because I headed overseas soon after he was born and was gone more than four months. I chose to introduce Charles once I was home rather than write only what I was hearing about him.

Additionally, I did not write about my mother’s death, which also occurred while I was working in Antarctica. That was different. I just did not know what to say. I still don’t.


What's next?

So, why quit now? I’ve heard it, from my wife and editors: “You have to write. That’s who you are. Won’t you go crazy when you have something to say and no place to say it?”

Actually, I have no plans to quit writing. I intend to continue posting columns online. I just won’t send them to newspaper.

The reason, basically, is to remove the constraints necessitated by print publication, particularly the problems of timeliness and length.

I’ve been sending out columns Tuesday mornings in time for weeklies to get it in their Thursday editions. However, other papers print it as late as Sunday. That means it’s not always incredibly timely and I have to prepare something to fit a broad time frame.

By going straight to online publication, I can address current topics immediately, as well as update it as the story develops. Believe it or not, I find that idea exciting. Plus, I do not “have” to write something. I’ve disliked many of my columns that have been churned out of nothing simply because the deadline was there.

Also, have you noticed columns are all about the same length? Mine are usually some 600-something words. That works well for the newspaper. For the writer, however, that sometimes means padding a column with extra material just to make it long enough. Other times, I run out of space before finishing what I have to say and have to choose what to eliminate.

In summation, there may be weeks I post nothing. There may be weeks I’ll post three or four columns. One might be 200 words long; another might be 2,000 words long.

I heartily invite you to tag along with this new angle to my ongoing story. You’ll find it online at ATexasVoice.blogspot.com. Read, leave your comments and share with others.

I suspect this will be fun.