Some Other Beginning's End

One of my favorite songs in the late 90s was "Closing Time" by the band Semisonic. (Still is one of my favorites, now that I think about it.) It was just one of those songs that came out at the perfect time to really resonate with where I was in my life. I bet you probably have some songs like that too.

Closing time

One last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer

Closing time

You don't have to go home but you can't stay here

This song always comes to mind whenever something in my life comes to an end. And today marks the end of the current round of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, so of course it's been in my head all day. Today's the day when so many of us are wrapping up our final posts of the challenge, and trying to decide where we go from here.

There have been some conversations among bloggers over the past month about what we will all do when the challenge is over. How much has the daily blogging changed us? Will we keep up the habits we've developed through the challenge, or will we revert to our previous selves?

I have to say that my perspective as a blogger is much different than it was a year ago when I completed my first UBC. When that challenge ended, I lost so much of the motivation that I thought I had gained, and almost immediately slipped back into my very undisciplined sporadic blogging. I think I had kind of burned myself out, and just couldn't keep it going.

I can't say with completely certainty what will happen as I move forward, but I can say that my motivation is different now. And this time I feel like even though it's time to leave this particular part of my life, it doesn't mean that I just have to go back to where I used to be.

So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits

I hope you have found a friend

Community means a lot more to me than it did a month ago. I still haven't had as much time to get as involved as I would have liked, but I have gotten a lot more involved with other bloggers than I ever did before. I've discovered some great people, and some excellent blogs. And I've definitely found some friends.

Closing time

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

Endings can be (and often are) sad. Or scary. Or confusing. Or, at the very least, filled with uncertainty. But like I've said before, it's all about where we choose to put our focus. And if we accept that when one phase of our lives ends it usually just means that it's time for the next phase to begin, it can make things a little easier.

So what do you do when you come to an ending? Do you just "go home" to what's familiar, or do you look for something new? Did you make connections along the way, or did you keep to yourself and miss out on the rewards of new friendships? Do you focus on what's ending, or look ahead to what's beginning?

I for one am happy to be moving forward, and ready to see what new exciting challenges come next. I hope you are too. :)