A change in blogging seasons

blogosphere network map-1 When I started this little blog a bit over four years ago, the blogosphere was a different place. The pioneers of blogs were well-established and had created a viable vehicle to enhance communication of information and ideas, but the blogosphere was a much smaller place. My initial goal was simply to communicate more effectively with an eclectic email group that I had maintained for about five years that was comprised of about 100 friends and family members, mostly businesspeople, clients and former clients, academicians, lawyers, and doctors.

I initially informed no one about the blog other than the members of that email list and figured that, at best, most of them would take a look at it every week or two. Much to my surprise, hundreds and then thousands more began reading it almost immediately. As one sage regular reader apprised me, "Kirk, the success of your blog is conclusive proof that a large number of people don’t have enough to do."

As anyone reading this blog knows, the blogsophere has exploded over the past four years into a key information source and communication device that even few of the blog pioneers predicted. Specialized blogs in such diverse areas as law, business, economics, medicine, education and politics (among others) have fundamentally enhanced the distribution of information and the communication of ideas. As I mentioned in a presentation that I gave on blogs last year at the State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Seminar, if a lawyer today is not at least periodically reading the specialized blawgs that are addressing the key issues, developments and ideas that are related to the matters on which he or she is providing service to clients, then that lawyer almost certainly is not providing the best quality of service to the clients that is currently available in the marketplace of legal services.

As with many things in life, my blogging over time fell into a rhythm of about 15-17 posts per week, usually three a day on weekdays and a single post on the weekend days. Inasmuch as I also maintain an active family life and a busy law practice, that output was sometimes challenging to maintain, but the benefits of doing so far outweighed the cost in time expended — I have made dozens of new friends through blogging and gained a far richer understanding of many issues and ideas through the blogospheric discussion of them.

Now, however, the time has come for my blogging season to change. Over the past couple of days, my family and I have had to confront a most difficult crisis in our lives. Please don’t be alarmed — the crisis does not involve my health, which continues to be blessedly excellent. Moreover, I am blessed with a wonderful wife, great children and a loving, supportive family who make dealing with these inevitable occurrences in life much easier and more manageable. My family and I will come through this chapter of our lives just fine.

But in the end, my time is finite and the two most important customers for that time are my family and my clients. My family needs more of that time now, and my clients don’t deserve any less, so I am gladly cutting down the time I previously used for blogging to accommodate my family. That’s not a tough call.

I won’t be leaving the blogosphere completely, though. I will continue to post on the topics that I have addressed over the past four years when I have the time and note an issue or idea that particularly stimulates my interest. My posts just won’t be as frequent as they have been. Thank you for making this blog such a fulfilling experience for me and please continue to check in on my little corner of the blogosphere sandbox when you have a moment. Hopefully, there will always be room in your life for a little clear thinking.

14 thoughts on “A change in blogging seasons

  1. I discovered your blog a few years ago because of your excellent analysis of the Enron cases and have continued to appreciate your posts on that, and many other, topics. Best wishes to you in dealing with your difficulties. I look forward to your future posts no matter what the quantity.

  2. Your blog has been one of my required stops every day for a while now. Thank you for your regular, informative, analysis of the many topics you have covered over the years.

  3. I visit just about everyday. Sigh, I will be like a junkie needing his daily fix. Next week I will be sleeping in the gutter. Such is life.
    I can only hope for the best for Tom and his family. God Bless.

  4. I hope all is well for you and your family. I will miss your take on things.
    I will look forward to reading what you are able to make time for!

  5. Tom,
    I’ve greatly enjoyed your sports posts even if you’re not too keen on my TT Red Raiders. You certainly know your stuff when it comes to the Big 12 and golf. I’m a minister in the United Methodist Church and began blogging almost two years ago. I’m amazed at how a person with a “real” job and a family can publish multiple posts daily. I’ve found it to be most challenging. Keep on investing in the right priorities.

  6. Tom, I have never understood where you found the time and energy to keep up this wonderful blog. No one can fault you for being human. Best of luck on wherever your life takes you. But if I might make a personal request? I hope that your rarified future posts will include continued support of Jeff Skilling. He needs you. Thank you for all that you have done.

  7. Tom, I’ve been a bit behind on my reading, so I’m just seeing this now. I hope all is well with you and your family and that you get through this current crisis quickly and easily. My very best wishes to you, and if there’s anything I can do, please let me know.
    I’d like to add on to what Freerock said by saying that you changed my thinking on a lot of Enron-related matters. I thank you for that, and for all the rest of your fine work. I look forward to its continuation some day.

  8. Tom,
    Thank you for making me think. I can’t honestly say I agree with you on every topic you discuss, but I can say I’ve been better informed. I hope your family is OK, or is getting OK. God Bless.

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