Change sucks

There is no joy in Muddville. The retailer summit is canceled. This makes it official, Obama's bungling of the economy has finally gone too far. Lootfest will not happen this year.

There will be no armfuls of free stuff. There will be no thrilling anticipation of the moment that Jeremy finally gets thrown out. There will be no pie eating contest.

What began as a curious trip to check out this BBQ that Great Scott told Bex about became one of the high points on my calendar. A once a year tradition whose benefits extended far beyond the swag that loaded down my car by the end of the evening. It was a grand social networking opportunity. A chance to meet new and different fat guys in comic book T-shirts. Bex would come to town and examine the latest in polyhedral technology, purchase it in large quantities, and return home to let Alexander stomp on them before they were placed in the bell jar. Alex may be getting a little old to enjoy dumping out boxes of dice and then running around on them, before getting some chump, Kris or yours truly, to put them back in the box to begin the process anew, but i am not to old to remember such better days.

Gregg Easterbrook points out in The Progress Paradox that we, as a species, have a tendency to remember the good old days as far better than they were. Easterbrook chalks this up to the absence of adult responsibilities and the corresponding stress that comes with those responsibilities. My early days at the Retailer Summit were golden. How often does the opportunity to have a company president BBQ for you happen? The only other instance i know of is Biomet's Dane Miller, who was told that it was unseemly for the President to cook for his guests. Thank God for mavericks. (And for Bret and Bart and Beau, too.)

Change sucks. When it doesn't we call it progress. This isn't progress, so it sucks.

Returning to the lessons imparted to me by Mr. Easterbrook, i will try to remain positive. Life is getting better. One grand tradition of my life is falling away, but a new one has been begun. The Origins Convention will be happening again this 4th of July. Wait, they don't do that anymore, it is happening June 24-28. (Damn Change rears its ugly head again, but i digress.) Team Fort Wayne and The Plastic Generals will be descending on Mike's now gypsy-free apartment to partake in acts of revelry. This will be the third year in a row for such a gathering and as traditions go, this one is off to a good start. Mike has indicated that the cooling of the coals with Throwback Dew will be part of the new traditions being forged.

I'll miss the Diamond Retailer Summit. It is, after all, the place that i met Erin. (I'll bet you were wondering when i'd work that in.) I'll take with me such memories as vanquishing Ryan at the pie eating contest and in turn being vanquished by Steve in a later such contest. Even as this happy chapter of my life draws to it's close i look forward to new traditions to come. But still, change sucks.

Later

Bob