One thing was never made clear to me before I began doing the blog On-Ramp nearly a year ago. Blogs don’t write themselves. I thought it would be like planting a tree that takes off on its own after a year or two of being watered with a hose. But the damn thing needed constant care!
That realization was coupled with another major development: KPBS asked me to host Morning Edition. I’m an old radio pro who missed being on the air, and I fully understood the importance of Morning Edition to the public radio franchise. I simply could not say no.
Becoming the host of M-E (as we insiders call it) is the good news. The bad news is I will no longer have time to make On-Ramp as good as it should be, and this blog will come to an end.
My feeling about the end of On-Ramp is the same as anyone feels after they’ve begun a project and spent a lot of energy, trying to make it better. It’s hard to see it go. You can’t help feeling like you’ve lost a large investment.
On-Ramp was about the built environment of San Diego. The built environment is what people dreamed about as they turned this into a large city. It’s what makes San Diego more than just the southern heel of the LA megalopolis.
The built environment is a subject that's worthy of great inspiration. Architects dream of creating the city’s next iconic structure. People who love the San Diego landscape dream of making a city that lives in harmony with the natural environment. It’s hard to see On-Ramp go.
But here’s another bit of good news. I will continue to write about housing, transportation, architecture and urban planning as a reporter for KPBS. What I’ve learned, and the contacts I’ve made, will continue to be part of me and of KPBS. My stories will still be found at KPBS.org.
So thanks for being a reader. I expect I will keep blogging in a non-professional vein as I revive my old blog Cul-De-Sac. But On-Ramp will be taking the next exit.
