Gentle Readers:
Life can be at times somewhat unpredictable. Even when our reasonable and logical assumtions indicate that the future will take a certain shape and direction, that does not mean that it necessarily will. Reason and logic are among many things in life which are ultimately subject to life's realities as they surprise us coming around a corner or rising up from the horizon.
There was a time when creating the WWWoodc@rver Ezine was a reasonable and logical thing to do. There was no other online carving publication anywhere and the growth in the online carving community indicated that such an Ezine would serve a valuable purpose. I peered into the future, as much as any person can do this, and visualized an Ezine that might one day be called "venerable" and be considered the "Grand-daddy" of online carving publications... the top of the heap... the survivor... the pioneer. As far as I can see, this has not changed. The future still holds many opportunities for this publication. It has only just begun.
What has changed is the logical and reasonable assumtion, made at the same time the Ezine was created, that I would continue to own and publish this Ezine for years and years and years, in the tradition of Ed Gallenstein at Chip Chats. This assumtion has been under pressure for the last year, and must now be discarded, having been subject to the realities of life I mentioned earlier.
As some of you know,
who have followed this Ezine from the start, I moved with my family
from Grande Prairie, Alberta to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan this year.
No sooner did we arrive in town and begin to enjoy the company
of my wife's aging parents, than my mother-in-law fell seriously
ill, and in a time too short for words, died. Here we are in Saskatoon,
barely settled in and the person who was half the reason we originally
made the journey is now gone.
The bottom line is that our priorities have changed. A year ago it was reasonable to believe that I would continue publishing the Ezine and nurturing it till it achieved the status of a "mature" publication. But as summer draws to a close, this assumtion is no longer reasonable. I have to let something go in order to devote the time and energy needed for larger priorities involving family and vocation.
So it is that the Ezine, if it is to grow and prosper, as it should, and as I believe it will, must be handed over to someone else. I think I have found the person who can do for this publication what I can no longer do. He can take it the next step. He has the skills and talents to take what was started and bring it to maturity.
I ask you to do something simple. Give this person your support. Join with him in taking the WWWoodc@rver Ezine the next few steps along the road to a mature publication. Enjoy the journey with him.
All the best to you, the readers, and the many authors/contributors who have traveled with me thus far. I hope you enjoy the opportunities that await you all in this publication.
Bill
Retiring Editor