Sniff, Sniff.
Stepping down sounds so dramatic. As if I’m abdicating the throne, giving up my gold medal after being caught with a needle full of steroids, or I just got caught in a compromising photograph and I need to hang up my tiara as Miss USA. None of these can be further from the truth (mainly because I am not royalty, an Olympian, or female). No, there is a lot less drama and fanfare associated with my change.
Although there will be no tears and no death-grip hugs to say goodbye, I do feel slightly sad. It’s one of those things in life, where you can literally feel yourself turning that last page so you can shut the cover of the large, leather bound (and slightly dusty) book that sits in your lap. It’s time to put this volume back on the shelf and start a new book. You’re relieved that you finished the book, but a bit wistful about the enjoyment you had reading late into the night as you worked your way through page by page, reading each page out loud to the audience that has gathered before you to sit by the fire and share their thoughts on the story. The library is large and you have many choices to make about what’s next, but you know that special book is there and you’ll dive in just like you did last time.
Thud!
The back cover slams shut with a resounding thud and you sit with your thoughts on the past for a few moments in the silence. It’s over and it’s time to move on.
The Stigliano Chronicles are finished. No more. Gone. Done. Dead. Over. That giant book in my lap is the body of writing I’ve done up to this point at AgentGenius and it sits neatly in my lap, waiting to be put on the shelves of the library that is the internet for someone to read and enjoy later. I find that the chair I sit on isn’t comfortable anymore either. It’s been worn in over the last year and a half or so and although still a wonderful chair, I feel like I need a new one. Something bigger, better, and ready to take my weight for the next few years. So I stand up, step down, and leave that behind too.
There’s always a place to sit.
I’ve found a new place to sit in the cavernous library that is AgentGenius. My new chair looks like it may just be able to handle me for a few years. The fireside is warm as always and the people meandering in and out to listen to tales read from the giant books that line the walls are ever changing. Some are new faces, some are old friends; but the cycle remains constant. There will always be someone to chat with, share ideas with, and discuss story lines with. They just won’t be done over The Stigliano Chronicles anymore. That book is closed and we must begin a new one.
The Stigliano Chronicles was based on my experiences as a new agent and although I will always keep the mind of a new agent, I will no longer hold onto that moniker. The torch has been passed in that sense and I welcome Michael Bertoldi to the AgentGenius family of writers. I hope he likes my old seat (sorry about the coffee stain). He’s brought a new book to read and discuss with you all and based on the interactions I’ve had with him, he’ll have a great story to tell (I think it might be one of those “choose your path” books that I loved when I was younger).
In the meantime, I will continue to scour the shelves and look for new stories to bring to my fireside chair and share with you. I hope you’ll find me in my new seat and continue to enjoy the stories I share and discuss with you. It’s time for this new agent to speak as an agent who’s still new. There’s a difference, which is why I’ve stepped down, only to step up again. See you next week, feel free to wear your pajamas so you’ll be comfortable.
photo courtesy of cygnus921
