I haven't blogged much lately. And it isn't because there's nothing going on. In fact, there's been so much going on the past couple of months, so much life-changing stuff that I could have filled pages. Problem was, I couldn't really talk about it. Not until today, when Chris officially tendered his resignation to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Since I'm not a very good secret-keeper, this will shock few of those who know us. But Chris has been offered what we believe is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we've decided to leap. Chris is going to be president and editor of an online news organization dedicated to exposing stock fraud by bringing in-depth investigative pieces directly to the public via a blog. His partner in the venture, called Share Sleuth, is billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, HDNet, Landmark Theaters and a number of other ventures.
And we're going to be doing it in Ann Arbor.
Let me just say that neither of us intended to leave St. Louis. When we went off to Ann Arbor last September for the fellowship, I had to be pushed by my friends here, who assured me that a) I'd like it there and b) I'd be coming home soon. Both were true, but neither Chris or I could have anticipated any of this -- that this opportunity would toss itself down at his feet or that we'd strike a balance with a quality of life in Ann Arbor that's just more suited to where we are right now. It just feels right.
There are still some loose ends to tie up in terms of contracts, etc. but we're on track to head back to Ann Arbor by mid-July. It's a little sooner than we thought originally, but we wound up having to sign a lease on our Ann Arbor house starting July 1 and it seems silly to put it off any longer if we're paying rent.
Plus, we're both eager -- given this sort of strange limbo period -- to have some routine, some stability, some sense that we are actually going about our lives and not just waiting for them to happen. People keep asking me if we're moving permanently. We have no idea. A year ago, it never occurred to Chris or I that we would do anything other than return from the Fellowship and go about our lives here -- perhaps with renewed focus or shifted direction. But we could never have predicted the circumstances and events that led to the development of Share Sleuth, nor could we have anticipated that things would change so quickly.
Here's what hasn't changed: Chris' firm belief in the sanctity of journalism. In fact, if anything, this year strengthened his passion, his resolve to be a part of making and delivering news even in a world that values it less, filled with news organizations unsure how to stay afloat in an internet age.
Yes, the times they are a-changing and, among many problems facing newspapers, they simply don't have the room or the budget anymore for investigative pieces, which are Chris' passion. And his talent. So we're going to try out this new venture, give it a shot, live in the day and see what life delivers us.
I'll miss St. Louis, but I know this much: I've never felt so certain that we were doing the right thing, that we are simply following the indicators the universe has laid down before us. And if this time next year our compass is pointing in an entirely different direction, I know two things: I'll be game for it and, whatever it is, I'll be okay.