Well, it had to happen one day. My time here is coming to an end.
Today is a difficult day for me, a day that has crept up on me
like summer rainshower, but one that I tried to put off for as long
as possible. It is with both sadness and excitement that I am finally
ready to announce my retirement from the craziness, confusion, and
thrill that is FlippedOnline.com.
You see, I have an opportunity that suits me too well to say no.
The past few weeks has been extremely trying for me and my family.
But I want you to know this decision was difficult to make, and
I hope nobody thinks I am being disloyal by making this move. I've
made it after a lot of soul searching, and I believe it is the right
decision for me to make at this time. People will know, I'm sure;
that I've always given my best in the time I've been here.
The first thought that comes to my mind is the sheer effort that
I always put into everything I've done. Not having this to look
forward will be a bitter pill to swallow. But it's time. No job
is easy all of the time, and some people would say our work is never
easy, but you know when you've given it your all. And I have.
It seems like just yesterday that a small cadre of talent joined
forces to get this baby off the ground. But it wasn't yesterday,
and I couldn't even begin to tell you how much things have changed
since then. And now, just as I'm really hitting my stride, I realize
that I am just at the beginning of a longer, more rewarding path.
What would have been my motivation to keep going? Home is tugging
at me, the chance to watch my children grow up, sleep in, take long
vacations, let my body go a little bit, and experience a serene
existence outside of the spotlight. I am ready for new challenges,
eager to give myself to something different.
Right now I'm looking forward to the start of my new life, and thinking
about what I should be doing to make the most of it all. Just precisely
what that will be, I don't know yet, but I do know that whatever
I'll be doing, I'll be doing my best to make it.
In the immortal words of "The OC's" Ryan Atwood (Benjamin
Mackenzie), "As one door closes, another one swings open."
This is a new era, time for a new generation to take the reins,
and I'm just not sure that I can keep up any longer. Perhaps I feel
as though, after bring the brilliant comedy day after day after
day, that there is just nothing left for me to prove. Simply put,
I am lucky enough to have done it all in this business.
Don't shed a tear for me. In my time, you have made me very welcome.
Even the best have to hang it up at some point. Michael Jordan,
George Foreman, Joe Gibbs, General Wesley Clark (ret.), and Roger
Clemens. As these great men have proved, there is no shame in going
out on top and being comfortable with the decision.
Sure, you may feel like you are saying goodbye to a very good friend,
but I want to do more than just want to say goodbye. For those of
you who have appreciated my years of dedication and commitment to
this craft, I want to express my gratitude to you and wish you well.
I will miss the fans, their support, their enthusiasm for our efforts.
You made it all worthwhile for us, and never stop believing in the
decency of human beings. I will miss my colleagues, the quintessential
professionals who brought it day after day and made every day a
joy and a challenge. You were my friends. You were my family, and
I love you all. But perhaps most of all, I'll miss the competitiveness
of it all. I will miss coming to work every day and giving everything
I have to give to something I believe in.
I'm not closing any doors, but I am 99.3% sure that this is it.
The doubt will always be there, knowing that I still have more to
say, knowing that I still have the ability to perform at the highest
level, and the passion to do so. Maybe this is all a mistake…
Yeah, on second thought, maybe I'm not ready to retire just yet.
I've made another decision and I'm coming back for another shot
at glory. One more time… Fill it up AGAIN!
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