Goodbye, farewell, amen: Here’s one last thing On My Mind

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Hey everyone. This will be my final commentary on On My Mind. If you’ve been listening to WFAE recently, you’re probably aware that the station is having to make some cuts. I made the decision to accept a buyout when that became evident. We are parting ways amicably.

I’m still sorry about going, though. I will miss working with my coworkers at the station. More importantly, though, I will miss our weekly Monday conversations about the state of the world and what we can do to address it.

Radio is a fantastic medium. It’s intimate and lonely all at once. At my home office, I’m speaking into a microphone. There are no other people present. All I can hope is that they will resonate with you and make you feel something when they get to you. However, I never thought thousands of people would be listening. I always imagine it to be a single individual. I want you to feel as though I’m speaking exclusively to you.

In more than seven years, we have experienced a great deal together. When I began, we were in the middle of the Trump administration, then it ended, and then it resumed. I hoped that my discussion of how the pandemic was impacting my family and me on the air every weekday during the early days of COVID struck a chord with you and yours.

On numerous occasions, simply putting my views in writing and speaking them aloud has given me more optimism. I hope you’ve felt the same way after hearing them.

It’s simple to frame the world in terms of what we’re against, particularly in these times. There are a lot of influential people in this nation who want to take us back in time, not just to the 1950s or 1850s, but to the 1750s, when we were still under monarchical authority. To put an end to those gloomy days, we waged a revolution and a civil war, and in 2025, we must continue to battle.

But before I become completely mute, I want to remind you that even when you’re fighting the good battles, life can be more than strife. You must create space for happiness. You must take care of the people you love, show others grace, and treat yourself with the same compassion. Take pleasure in listening to quality music. Talk to your friends. If you can, go watch a baseball game or participate in one. Every now and again, take a time to acknowledge your blessings.

The battle wouldn’t be worthwhile without those blessings.

The future is uncertain for us. Knowing that the future has always been unpredictable and that we can only do our best is the only solace. The novelist E.L. Doctorow once observed, “Writing is like driving a car at night; you can see as far as your headlights, but you can make the entire trip that way.” That is one of my favorite lines.

I believe that goes well beyond just writing. I’ll leave you with this: Drive on, regardless of how dark the night gets. Don’t turn off the headlights. But occasionally, take a moment to appreciate this wonderful world and cherish our time together.

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