Comments on: signing off

By: Ewen

Ewen — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:30:41 +0000

Joan, after an amazing animal ran 30:34.49, I was searching again for ‘Go Sha’ and stumbled across this page; reading it with a sense of déjà vu. We’d all like to keep writing. If you go, I wish you the best. I’ll buy the book.

By: Jim Terry

Jim Terry — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 17:59:49 +0000

Joan,

I remember watching your win at the XC Nationals in Boston in 1995. I saw then that your were a gutsy runner. My respect for you has blossomed, though, since I have had two children (now 6 and 3) and began to read Song of Experience. I recently finished Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” and find it still current and “on-point”. While she advocates for “a room” and “500 a year” for women of talent, she also laments the loss of women’s voices and the sharing of their experiences. I for one would miss hearing your voice through SoE, since (as VW also notes) the true experience is universal for minds that are still open. Thanks for SoE. Behind it, I see a kind, considered, and conscious mind. I hope that you find a way to continue it. Best wishes.

By: mis_nomer

mis_nomer — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 03:53:03 +0000

Erm, that picture of you, that is you saying “hello” rather than “goodbye”, no? It a good pic, by the way.

By: mis_nomer

mis_nomer — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 04:36:49 +0000

I know exactly what you mean, though I hope that you would not decide to stop blogging because there is so much in your words.

I suppose it helps that I was never ever paid for either running or blogging!

By: John

John — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 20:56:45 +0000

Joan;
I think we’re all just a bit melancholy reading this post. Kind of like a friend who’s moving away and we know keeping in touch won’t be an option.

And to think all that was subconciously being asked of me was to surf off of your inspirations and buy something from Fleet Feet.

Well if it’s money you’re asking why can’t we pay you? We do for subscriptions to the NY Times, or pay for each iTunes we download from the Apple store.

Please don’t leave us out there alone.

Peace be with you to the friend I’ve never met but feel I share common songs and experiences.

By: Fat Charlie the Archangel

Fat Charlie the Archangel — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 14:58:31 +0000

Boy, I sure hope you don’t keep blogging! Why, I begrudge every minute I’ve wasted reading your blog. The only reason I ever came to it was to click on the Fleet Feet icon

By: Lora

Lora — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 23:15:24 +0000

Please don’t go.

By: Jimmy B.

Jimmy B. — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 19:41:12 +0000

Hi Joan,
You asked the three-way conversation question, “Is it worth it” to continue. Maybe it’s a four-way conversation, with the fourth party, FF, answering “No”. Maybe for them it wasn’t “worth it”. As a member of the third party, I would like to answer “yes”. As a very recent discoverer of your musings, I enjoyed the way they would make me stop and think about something in the midst of a busy day. Often I would come away with an altered perspective because of this pondering. I really enjoyed the variety of topics. I will be very saddened if they go away. As I think you know, all of the third party is in agreement that the answer is “yes”. Your writing is worth it and I doubt you will stop that whether or not on this blog. I truly hope parties one and two can together find a way to make it happen. I’m not sure I agree with the “money lends legitimacy” idea however. Maybe on the surface it does, but it doesn’t go very deep. Money contaminates legitimacy in my view. Would you rather read a product review from an unpaid consumer or a staff writer from the magazine who accepts advertising dollars from the product manufacturer? Which is more legitimate. Both may be spot on, but I’ll believe one before the other. Does Nike really make the best golf ball in the world, or do they just pay Tiger a lot of money to whack it around? New Balance may be the best running shoe in the world and the one I should try, but I would hope that I make that decision by seeing them on lots of passionate hobbyists instead of a few professional runners, paid to wear them. I have a sponsor that pays me to do science, and that paycheck probably gives the science some legitimacy. But the paycheck doesn’t do anything for the quality of my work. That’s still up to me. I lost my sponsor recently and picked up another one. I sincerely think you will too. This thing you can do, this thing you can do!

By: Scooter

Scooter — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:58:16 +0000

Joan,
I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that Fleet Feet was a regional, rather than national thing. I suspect, that your audience was fairly national, so that’s one factor. As with most things in running, making it pay is tough. I’d suggest you look into Google, it probably won’t be enough, but it will be something. If the blog goes away, I’ll be saddened. You write very well and usually say some insightful things. I hope it continues, even if with less regularity.

By: JOCKO

JOCKO — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:26:26 +0000

I loved the blog - still do - but I understand the time it takes to keep something like this going.

I will say this:

I read a lot of blogs. Most decent blogs have a few good postings floating around amongst a bunch of random garbage.

Each and every one of your posts was well-written, creative, entertaining and inspirational. You have produced something special here, and if you do decide to sign off, please make sure you keep it documented somewhere.

If this were a book, I would buy it.

Take care Joan,

Jocko