Until we meet again

It seems appropriate to me that the day I would write my final column would be a gloomy, rainy day in December because I am certainly gloomy and tearful now as I pen my goodbye. This position that I have cherished has been the defining pillar of my life during the last tumultuous year and a half, the constant that has kept me grounded in existential reality. No matter what personal disaster or health crisis or academic demands rattled up my world, no matter where in the world I found myself, I could always count on that same weekly deadline; it has been the one comforting constant. You, gentle readers, have provided me with that gift, and I am so thankful.\nI am grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of our intellectual milieu, among so many people who I’ve respected and admired. I have been thankful for the sometimes harsh words that dissenters have hurled at me, even more so for the cripplingly kind words of praise I’ve received from people who have been touched by my words. I have met some of my best friends on this job, other people at the newspaper who rock my world with their intellectual prowess and artists who have enriched my life in countless ways. You have come with me – fans, critics, and fellow columnists – and have watched me make very public mistakes and have shared in my very public triumphs while I bled a little bit of my essential being onto paper. \nThough the most precious thing I’ve acquired from this experience has been, collectively, the indelible marks left on my spirit by the precious people I’ve met along the way, the lessons I’ve been forced to collect will shape my opinions and actions for the rest of my life. I’ve learned the profound power of words; the pen is truly mightier than the sword and can wound just as deep. We must be responsible in wielding our words as weapons. Our shared humanity demands that mutual respect.\nAbove all, this position has taught me about the sensitivity of the strongest among us. Seeming unassailably certain and secure in one’s opinions or incredibly proficient and vocal in voicing one’s thoughts does not negate one’s humanity. Professors, editors, writers, artists, musicians, politicians and pundits all feel pain and are not somehow immune to embarrassment or the wounds of mean-spirited insults. They just choose to risk that pain in order to give voice to something they feel is greater than themselves. It’s not something I’d necessarily recommend to anyone, but it’s been a bizarre learning experience and I appreciate the growing pains.\nAs time changes, columnists rotate, politicians lie and we all move on from here. Please keep your hearts and your minds open to differing opinions and diverse forms of human experience. Be forgiving. Love fearlessly. Even as we fly off to do great things far from here, we’re all in this together. This is the Ubiquitous Messenger, signing off. Good night, Bloomington. I’ll miss you.