Taking A Break...Maybe Forever

It's a cliche in the blogging world: The "I'm Quitting This Forever" blog. Apparently, every fervent blogger does it at some point.

It's also a cliche in the blogging world: The "I'm Back Now" blog. Apparently, every fervent blogger returns to doing it at some point.

But today I really do feel like shutting down The Diner.

Sure, I've threatened before in bouts of writer's block. Or when folks anonymously attacked what I said and weren't loving, polite or even civil. Or when I was just tired from work. Various threats.

But last night I felt so certain that this was what I wanted to do. Just go back to journaling and maybe channeling the energy into other writing endeavors. Before I did anything rash, I wanted to sleep on it.

I mean, we've developed quite a little community here, haven't we?

There's about 125 different customers who stop in every day, sometimes two or three times. And we've been through an awful lot together since the summer of 2003 and 2,700 posts later--almost daily entries, too. I mean there have been mission trip updates, diatribes on the benefits of public transportation and the downsides of mobile phones, birthday celebrations, the death of my mom, vacations, an "earthquake" at my place of employment, highlights of rock concerts, stuff I've been thinking, thoughts on ministering to teenagers and anything and everything in-between.

And, at various times, I've been encouraged beyond belief by you. At various times, I've been discouraged by some of the comments. I've felt like I was among friends here. I've felt like I could NOT be more afield from my fellow man here. It's run the gamut.

Like I said, it's a quaint little community here.

But ultimately, I write just for me. I'm glad you come along for the ride...no question about that.

And there are lots of things that I could never write here because of the public nature of the forum. It seems that lately those are the things I want to discuss and explore and write about. So, in some ways, I don't feel like I'm being true to myself or even fair to you by posting the second-rate stuff going on in my brain these days.

So, I'm going to close The Diner for a month.

Here's the plan: I'm going to come back on April 1.

Either with a new post letting you know that I'm rested and back ready for blogging on some sort of consistent basis (even if it's only once a week or whatever)...

...or with a "Closed" sign on the door.

So, today's not final. But I woke up this morning believing the same thing I did last night: It's just time to close The Diner. But it certainly seems like I should write that cliche "I'm Quitting This Forever" blog.

And that's my intent--although I'm going to leave the door open for a bit so I don't have to write that cliche "I'm Back Now" blog.

We'll see...

...and I'll let you know on April 1.

Until then...Godspeed, patrons.

And, thanks for reading and caring.