That's All, Folks!

I had mentioned it a while back that I was approaching 6000 posts on HBIC, and today's the day that I hit that number. Six thousand posts on HBIC blows my mind because who would have thought I'd be posting something daily for 16 years about hockey? Honestly, not me, but I made the commitment to do that and it's resulted in being part of some fun stuff, witnessing some frustrating stuff, but it's given me many chances to learn about game. After 6000 posts, you'd expect me to have learned something, right? I feel like it would be impossible to write 6000 posts and not learn something.

I'm not here to share what I've learned - there are 6000 posts about that - but I am here to say that all good things come to an end, and that's the point of today's post as HBIC is coming to an end. I've given this a lot of thought, and it's a decision that I didn't make quickly nor have I not given this a lot of thought. I've been wrestling with this thought for some time with it creeping to the forefront in certain situations. Speaking of time, this decision is actually based on time.

"Time takes everybody out; time's undefeated." - Creed

I've never once been paid anything for any of the work I've done on this blog. I've never kept any of the products that were sent for giveaways. I've invested a lot of money and time into contests where I've given stuff away, but I keep coming back to the amount of time I've spent in front of several screens, pounding out my thoughts on a keyboard. I love the game and I love watching the game, but the time spent writing, researching, reading, and composing stories has felt like an unofficial second job for some time now. Considering the amount I'm being paid at this job, I'm not sure I can justify sticking around any longer when there's so much I want to do and learn.

"We're all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children's game, we just don't... don't know when that's gonna be. Some of us are told at eighteen, some of us are told at forty, but we're all told." - Moneyball

What I can tell you about the future is that I'm going to keep writing and covering the game through to the end of the U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship taking place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on March 17. What happens after that is wide open, but I doubt there will be daily posts if I'm busy doing other stuff, especially in the summer. Sitting in front of a computer screen on an early summer morning or during a summer sunset is not my idea of "fun", so we'll figure out that part once we arrive at that bridge.

"There is a time for daring and a time for caution, and a wise man knows which is called for." - Dead Poets Society

I can tell you that the radio show will continue as HBIC has zero effect on The Hockey Show. I want to be clear that there may be additional audio posted here as I have a few ideas that I've been wanting to explore, but the radio show will still happen every Thursday like it currently does, and show previews will likely still be posted here. If there's one part of the hockey scene that I still enjoy very much, it's the discussions that are had on The Hockey Show and getting to meet and hear the stories from the guests we feature!

"Spooky how the time flies when one's having fun." - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I also plan on remaining involved in our community events that UMFM does, so tournaments like the Female World Sport School Challenge will still be covered. 6000 posts have allowed me to learn that good hockey communities exist across this nation, and I enjoy being adopted by these amazing people and fantastic groups during the event. Seeing those events being successful makes me grateful for these opportunities, and I won't be walking away from that fun.

"You have some life left. My advice to you is: live it well." - Joe Versus the Volcano

I mentioned above that time was a big reason for winding down HBIC, and I want to bring a quick calculation to your attention. I realize that some articles don't require a lot of research while others don't need a lot of reading, but let's just say that each of the 6000 articles required two hours of work whether I was reading, writing, hunting for photos and articles, or anything else you'll find on this blog. That's 12,000 hours of work which, if you're doing the math, is 500 days of work. Hold onto that number for a second.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Considering that I've been writing nearly every day for 16 years, 500 days doesn't seem like a lot of time. On the flip side, if you imagine doing something for two hours every day for 16 years following your daily routine of work and chores and everything else, that's a ton of time invested into doing all the work that ends up as paragraphs on a screen. Again, I don't regret one word, one article, or one second doing the reading, researching, and writing, but I'm not getting any younger and there's still so much I want to accomplish.

"I'm afraid of time. And not having enough of it. Time to figure out who I'm supposed to be, to find my place in the world before I have to leave it. I'm afraid of what I'll miss." - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

You're free to email me or tweet at me with your thoughts on this, but I have slept many nights on this decision. I can certainly say that there were articles I enjoyed writing on some days, but there were many times where I simply felt like I had nothing to write as well. Those were the days where I nearly just walked away from writing, but I still managed to crank out articles. It shouldn't feel like that, though, so it's time to spend less time struggling to highlight interesting stories when the game struggles to provide them.

"A hobby should pass the time, not fill it." - Psycho (1998)

There will be more to say about this decision as we get closer to the last days of daily posts in March, but I'm told that time heals all wounds so my absence will eventually be filled by some other writer or activity that catches your attention. Maybe if I was involved in the sport a little more I'd feel like I have more to offer, but there are dozens of websites where you can get your fill of hockey chatter. They may not be as in-depth as I was on some topics, but, like hockey, you win some and you lose some. That's how the puck bounces, and sometimes those bounces go against you.

"And in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!" - The Truman Show

The lights at HBIC Headquarters won't go dark just yet, but this is your warning that things will be changing in March. Until then, it's my intention to write interesting hockey things for your enjoyment, but you can't say you weren't warned about the upcoming changes. Nothing lasts forever, and that truism certainly applies to HBIC.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!