Now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain … — lyrics by Paul Anka

In the spring, when I shut down Laurens County Sports and Furman All the Time, and eliminated monthly fees, I knew it would require help from the readership. From the very first article here, a message at the end of every story asked readers to contribute to the site, either by one small donation or a monthly pledge through Patreon.

In the spring, readers contributed a total of $330. None since.

I’ve got great advertisers, but there’s not enough room on the site for ads to pay all the expenses. All the ads are placed within the stories, which is great for the advertisers but not enough to prosper alone.

I thought football season would make everything better.

I thought I would have some royalties coming in from my books.

I thought another novel would be ready to go on the market.

I believed in myself. Now I don’t think it makes any difference how well or how badly I write. Most people who are interested in reading don’t care if it’s any good or not. I don’t think it’s truer of young than old.

Not many people in my position do not have a podcast. Not only do I not host one; I don’t listen to them. Nothing personal. I can just read faster than I can listen. I have nothing against them. I go on someone else’s when he or she asks me.

Besides, what I do is write. I’m not a broadcaster or a videographer or a podcaster. I dabble in photography, but I know just enough to be dangerous. I spent my life learning how to be somebody, and now I’m one of few left.

The idea was to compensate for the decline of newspapers. When I grew up here, writers from daily newspapers were at most Clinton High School football games. Later I worked on sports staffs with those I first met while they were covering the Red Devils.

At Furman, home and away games were staffed by Greenville, Columbia and Spartanburg. Anderson, Charleston and Florence often were at home games. Basketball wasn’t quite as comprehensive, but the News staffed every game.

The Presbyterian-Newberry football game got about as much print and local TV coverage as a Carolina Panthers game now. That probably makes you laugh, but it’s true.

PC isn’t on radio anymore.

I figured I could make it work. I was wrong.

The kids appreciate it. The coaches appreciate it. The parents and some of the fans do. They tell me all the time.

It’s not worth $5-10 a month, though.  A man can eat at McDonald’s for that.

Soon I’ll lose everything I own.

I’ve never minded dying penniless. Living penniless is what’s hard.

I used to think of myself as a soldier, holding his own against impossible odds / Badly outnumbered and caught in a crossfire of devils and gods – Dan Fogelberg

It’s no one’s fault but mine.