Now We Go To Face the Universe Alone

This is not a blog post that I ever envisioned writing. If you have been reading this blog lately, you know that Rhonda was considering whether or not she would continue with this blog and everything connected with it. Since that blog post, she has, indeed, decided to stop being a part of the Daily Duranie. I definitely cannot and will not speak for her as to her reasons, but I will say a couple of things. First, she is still planning on being around on social media, Twitter specifically. If you want to stay in touch with her, you can follow her @EncoresClub. Second, she will always be welcome here as this is a blog, a website, a “something” that we created together over eleven years ago. It is as much hers as it is mine. On that note, I wish her the best.

Now, the next question that many of you might be asking or wondering is, “What will happen to the Daily Duranie? Will there still be a blog? Will it get published daily? Will there be fan events like meetups, online parties, like has been done in the past?” The simple answer is that I’m not sure. This has been a year of significant transition for me. I left my twenty year long career as a teacher to be a full time political organizer. My job to defend democracy in the state of Wisconsin is not getting any easier. Similarly, I am also in a care giving role with my aging parents and I need to be available to them. That being said, I have a hard time imagining just letting it go completely. I love what we built here. My love for Duran Duran has not changed, even if my life has. I am not going to make any quick decisions. One thing I have learned in my life is to not make big moves about things, especially ones that are surrounded by a lot of emotionality. I want to take some time to think through what is best for me moving forward.

If I do plan on continuing, there are a few things for me to think about. First of all, I wonder if people would like me to keep going in some way, shape or form. Maybe this blog and website has come to its natural end. I would love to know what people think about that. Second, if the blog should keep going, I know that I won’t be able to write lengthy blogs each day. I simply do not have the time for it. Plus, I don’t know that anyone needs to hear from me all that often! Could the blog change slightly to become more of a group effort? Could and should it add other authors? Should I revisit blogs of the past? Could I do something faster? Shorter? More fun? Maybe. I don’t know. Here’s what I know. If the blog continues, I am open to lots of different ideas, formats, etc. This could be an opportunity to regroup in a way that works better for everyone.

So, to summarize, here are my questions for all of you:

• Do you think the blog should continue?
• If it should continue, what type of blog posts should continue?
• Are there old blog post types or activities that should be brought back?
• Other ideas of blog posts or activities that should be added?
• Are you interested in helping? If so, how?

I have created a quick google form if that is a better way to respond to these questions. First of all, I want to make sure that people can respond anonymously. (Don’t worry about hurting my feelings!) Second, I’m hoping that this might be an easy way to respond. Answer only the questions you want to! Here is the link to the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKcY-WJYDQ1Ix-g5QoccFuRmFKo6RyV4RJnXDyg0WmSJjLYA/viewform?usp=sf_link

That’s enough from me for today. Take care of yourself and others. ❤️

-A