Old Things are Going Away, and That Sucks (But It's Okay) · 11:20pm Feb 1st, 2022
Recently, Seattle's Angels closed its doors.
Even more recently, the Royal Canterlot Library closed its doors.
In both cases, what came recently was only the "official" shutdown; both had been quiet for quite a while. But it's still sad to see both go. Technically, I was still a member of SA until the end, though given that my contributions had only ever been 1-2 posts per year, I didn't feel it was my place to put a bit in the goodbye post--I was a very tangential member, when all's said and done. With the RCL, I was a very active member for years, but left well before the end.
But even if they'd both been de facto absent for many months, getting the final word is a disappointing double whammy. I loved being a part of both groups, and I continued to love seeing the RCL's features after I left. It hurts--for me at least, it really, truly hurts--to see them both go.
But people get old, and get busy, and get new interests, and real life interferes. It's what happened to me, after all; it's why I wasn't still an RCL-er, and why I gave up my review blog. It hurt to let those things go at the time, but I thought it was better to exit with some minimal amount of grace rather than try to shamble along, zombie-like, in not-quite-dead-ness for years. Everything has to end, and there's real value in putting a clean bow on things at the end. It gives people closure, you know?
So I'd like to thank both groups for all that they did, both while I was a member, and while I wasn't. I'd like to thank the people who made the decision to pull the plug for having the maturity to do so, and the self-awareness to know when it was time to let go.
Even though I'm still around and still occasionally read things, I think it's fair to call me part of ponyfic's "past." Now, so are those groups. But even as old things retreat into the sunset, there's plenty new to come. Maybe it's new authors and reviewers, with the advent of a G5. Maybe it's new fandoms entirely, and the writing communities they'll develop.
Whatever the case, I'll miss these groups, and all they've meant to me (and all the different things they've meant to me!) over the years. But even with one foot planted firmly in the past, I'm still eagerly looking forward to what the future brings.
Fwiw, I'm pretty sure all of us considered you an Angel to the end.
Thanks for the words.
I like to think the RCL would be going strong if the pandemic didn't take a crowbar to our momentum. But yeah, thank you for your contribution to ponyfic. Especially if inspiration strikes further down the road.
All things must end, but it does hurt when it's what I consider to be the best things. I'll miss those reviews terrible. I still miss OMPR.
I didn't know these had stopped. Or rather, concluded is the better word. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on dumb. It really makes them feel like their own event. And for talking about your own blog. Even if I can't read it, I like to hear about your creative endeavors.
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Do you mean just not being able to show up at conventions as usual? Besides the general malaise the world's dealing with.
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Personally speaking, it was more "Oh God, oh God, is this the end of the world, and if so why does my job still want me to come in every day?" Bit distracting from convening to discuss the merits of horsewords.
It's a shame to see the fandom here winding down in the way it is, even if it's not a surprise. I hope that like last time we get some new blood in to fill the void these groups have left. With the feature box and new column being what they are, review groups like SA and the RCL were necessary to unearth and bring attention to quality stories. There are still groups and individual reviewers around who do that, but no others who were trusted with the coveted site posts.
Explain to to my satisfaction how things that suck can also be okay and I will never need to read a single word of fiction ever again.
Chris, you need some accounting weasels in your life. Everything will seem better then.