When I started komplexify, it was meant to be a diversion for me, something nominally creative to work on when I had free time. Unfortunately, free time is hard to come by any more. What with a new house, summer school, several mathematical papers still to finish, a five-year-old daughter about to head off to kindergarten, and a two-year-old daughter ready to pay back (with interest!) the “Terrible Two’s” her older sister passed on, I just don’t have the time any more, unless I count that ample “1:00-4:00 AM” time-slot I’ve so lazily earmarked for sleep.
Moreover, komplexify was meant to be fun for me. Often, it still is, but frequently I find myself straining to be marginally funny by even my usual (and conveniently low) standards. Moreover, I seem to be increasingly stressed out that I haven’t posted something I was supposed to write about, or conversely, that I need to trash posts about things I’m not supposed to write about. The short version: it’s not as much fun lately.
I was worrying about this the other night, hunched over my laptop in my as-yet-unfinished office room, sifting through three months of Flickr photos of the Ladybug and the Butterfly, desperately trying to distill them into an epic, season-spanning newsletter (one of those self-imposed writing projects for the website) peppered with quips and story-arcs and what not. The Ladybug came in and saw me running my hands through my thinning and graying hair, sighing heavily.
She: What are you doing, dad?
Me: I’m trying to write a story on my computer.
She: Oh. Why?
Me: It’s about you and your sister. I’m trying to write down the stuff you guys do, so that I can remember it when you’re older.
She: You mean like when I’m a teenager and I only want to play with my friends?
Me: Sort of, yeah.
She: Well, you could do that. Or you could play with me now instead.
You know what? That sounds like fun.
So I’m going on a sabbatical from komplexify for a while, to recharge my batteries. Thanks to everyone who reads along and has given me positive feedback over the years… you guys made it fun too!
