When I started the Main Street Gazette almost 14 years ago,
I was young and had opinions I wanted to express. About attraction ideas, how
good the food was, or wasn’t, and about what I thought would make Walt Disney
World better. I had a fair share of knowledge of the parks and resorts, thanks
to a never-ending thirst to know more, and I wanted to share that knowledge. I wanted
to give people a better trip, and maybe a special kernel or two of knowledge
that could impress their family and friends. The Gazette was a balancing point
between wanting to shine as an expert, otherwise called a know-it-all, and an
intrinsic need to be helpful.
As the years have gone by, I’ve tried new ways to engage,
new topical areas to discuss, even throwing in some short fiction (which I’d
love to do again), and I have learned so much. I have been taught that having a
brash opinion isn’t as valuable as taking time to understand an issue, give
Imagineers grace and space to create before judging, and that I have absolutely
no idea what Walt Disney would think or want in the parks today, and neither
does anyone else. I have learned to put others first where I can, that
elevating the voices and issues that can change the lives of people not like me
is important, and that what is right is not always popular.
I have also gained so much from all of you. Your love and
devotion to the Gazette propelled me to two wonderful stints on a pair of
podcasts. With Lou Mongello on the WDW Radio Show, I got to spend time with
someone who is as close to me as a brother, someone who’s love of theme park
history and zeal for life rivals my own. Then, with Pete, Melyssa, Courtney, Brian,
Adam, and whomever else we could drag along, on the Disney Movie Hour, I found
more family, that delved deep into the history and production of the films that
are foundational to many of our lives. Then there are the friendships that are
too numerous to list here, but for someone who finds it difficult to make
friends, you have all brought me some of the most joyous memories, and
relationships that I am hopeful will last a lifetime.
I began to push harder on the Gazette, creating a schedule
that would provide content each and every day of the week, I ventured out
(poorly) into social media with Twitter and Instagram, and I tried to find ways
to engage each of you as best I could. In some respects, I succeeded, in many I
did not, and that’s okay because I learned something new at every step or
stumble along the way.
Then, almost 7 years ago, I began having excruciating pain
in my shoulders, knees, elbows, and ankles. That scary, not knowing, road led
me to a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The uncertainty of when and where
the next violent flare will come, the constant fatigue and pain, made my time
with the Gazette haphazard at best. It has made sitting in a chair for any
length of time to record for a podcast unbearable. No matter how much I wanted
to continue to do all of these things, my body shut me down. Yet, through it
all you stuck with me. The Gazette went on hiatus for long stretches of time,
including during most of 2020 with the pandemic and at times when there were
more important voices that needed to be heard around the state of race in our
country. Yet, through it all, you wished me health and stuck with me.
By this point in the history of the Gazette, you probably
think this is goodbye. That I’m hanging up my lightsaber, spurs, and pith
helmets, putting the history books back on the shelves, and walking slowly into
the sunset. But that’s not exactly where I’m headed. I write for a living,
writing grants and reports to foundations to support critical services in my
community, and writing takes a toll on my joints. Writing used to be where I
found solace, and while that is still the case, the amount of time I can do writing
becomes more limited each year. That means I have to choose between supporting
my family or supporting a passion that I’ve never quite figured out how to make
a living by. The Main Street Gazette isn’t going away, but I also can’t commit to a
schedule any longer either.
Daily photos, or blurbs that I can put in a couple of tweets
or a single photo caption, are going to continue and are likely the main avenue
going forward. Meanwhile, the main page of the Gazette, the longer articles, critical thought pieces, historical anecdotes,
digging at little details, and a recipe or review here or there, will still be
here. I just don’t want to promise you all a when any longer only to let you,
and myself, down. They’ll be sporadic, but I hope they’ll be worth it when you come back here and read
them. If you happen to be feeling like a walk down memory lane, the old articles are staying put too. And I hope you’ll join in with me over on Instagram or Twitter, perhaps
we can have even deeper conversations than we’ve ever had here before.
I love you all, and I thank you all for everything you have
given me over than past 14 years. I hope we can keep this mutual joy of all
things going for many, many years to come, in whatever form it may take.
2 comments:
Ryan,
Sorry to hear about your Rheumatoid Arthritis. Love your site. You have great insights on Walt Disney World.
Ryan,
As the pandemic resulted in my working from home almost exclusively in May 2020, I started catching up with episodes of WDWRadio, eventually starting from the beginning after listening to the shows from the start of 2020 on. One of the absolute highlights for me has been hearing again (or the first time) your participation on the show. I wondered why, as of the 2020 shows, I didn't see any shows with you. Having just read this entry, I now know the reason. I don't know what the course of rheumatoid arthritis can be, but I certainly wish you all the best and as much relief from the effects of the disease as whatever the treatment is can achieve.
As John stated above, your insight into, as well as your appreciation of and historic research of, Walt Disney World is greatly valued and appreciated.
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