The Diff Signs Off

“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why
It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It’s something unpredictable
But in the end, it’s right
I hope you had the time of your life“

• Lyric from Green Day’s “Good Riddance”

After almost exactly 24 years, this will be the final post for The Daily Difference, at least in this format. For the ~350 of you who have been on board from the start, you have Blessed me, come along for the ride, offered inspiration, input, and thought. You have challenged and supported me; both great gifts, which I could never repay.

For the almost 40,000 others who have interacted with at least one post during that time, I hope it’s been worth the time it took to read. I pray I contributed to you thinking, Believing, or doing something that made a difference, whether either of us knew it was doing so at the time.

The Diff has always been a labor of love. I love writing. I love reflecting. I love provoking thoughts and emotions. I love my life (even the shitty parts), and the intersections between it and yours. It’s still a labor of love, and I feel like I still have things to offer, maybe even some further value to provide. It’s. Just. Time.

Content consumption has changed over the years, and as I cross a unique set of turning points – forks stuck in the road – the time is right to step back and assess, reflect, prioritize, and just “be.”

The Three are adults. They are and always will be the greatest gift God could have given me. I believe they know that I’ve meant every word of what has been written here. I hope they are 10% as proud of me as I am of them. That would be a lot of pride – the good kind, not the deadly kind.

For those of you who get the reference, the “footprints in the sand” are real, and as He sets me down to begin again to walk alongside Him, I am ever thankful for his carriage in this season, in those that came before this one, and in the ones not yet written.

So, what next?

Perhaps 6,000-ish posts really can be condensed into a book. It’s underway, and now it won’t compete for headspace with Daily Diff Deadline pressure. Perhaps Substack or another channel might become a place for a new approach to sharing, encouraging, challenging, and supporting not just you but a new set of consumers. Decisions, some good and others almost clinically dopey — bring me to here. Now.

That’s one of a few recurring themes:

• It’s what we do next that matters most. Here. Now.
• Making a difference is the only thing that makes a difference.
• Intent matters more than content.
• Faith has a capital “F” and is the basis for everything.
• No matter where we go, there we are. (Thanks, Dad!)
• The rearview mirror and windshield are different sizes for a reason.
• We leave as we entered, with nothing, except that uppercase “F.”
• Control is an illusion, and a dangerous one at that.
• Surrender isn’t a passive act.
• We will never fully understand what someone else is experiencing, yet the effort is worth making.
• Write a handwritten note. Tell them how much you love, appreciate, miss, or admire them.

I don’t have 40,000 handwritten notes, or all of your addresses, so this will have to settle as my gesture to each and all of you. I hope that our paths will continue to intersect, in ways either apparent or transparent. You, dear readers, subscribers, partners, friends, antagonists, observers — whatever brought us together, I hope you had the time of your life.

I have. And I am deeply grateful to you.