Dear Homeschooling Friends,

It’s been just over six and a half years since Ben felt the need to let Apricot Pie go, because he no longer had the time to manage it and direct it the way he felt it deserved… and then, after I reached out to him and discussed it for a while, he agreed to pass on the management of it to me rather than let it die.

In his initial announcement, Ben said:

"I am more busy(er) than ever before. I am now in graduate school studying Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. I am also holding a part-time job in web development. If before I found it difficult to keep up with admitting new members, moderating posts and comments, and reading your writing; now it will be virtually impossible. In all fairness to you and to me, I think it is time to call it quits."

Now, don’t panic… I am not closing Apricot Pie! But I must confess to you that I have been in a place in life for the past few years, where I have been just as busy as Ben was in 2010. I have had very little time or energy to do the things that I ought to do, in particular reading your writing and moderating posts and comments, and in general simply interacting with you all. I have not been fair to you all.

In particular, three and a half years ago I attempted to put standards in place for the content of writing. It didn’t go over well. I know. And looking back on it, I wish I would have done it differently. I saw a need for course correction, but I basically swooped down and did it suddenly, abruptly… and after (understandably) receiving blow-back for it, I only followed-up half-heartedly, and then did very little to clarify things or enforce (I don’t even like using that word) the standards. That left Apricot Pie in a state of ambiguity and confusion. I made it worse by turning a blind eye to things that I knew were wrong to allow, and allowed precedents to become entrenched that I never should have let happen. I did it because it was the easy thing to do.

But that was wrong. I need to apologize to you all for this. I have wronged you all. Even, and in fact, especially to those of you who don’t see things the same way I do… I have wronged you. I am sorry. Please, forgive me.

There is still a matter of “standards” that needs to be addressed… but I did it wrong three years ago. I approached it wrong in more than one way… not just the suddenness of it, and the ambiguity in my follow-up (or lack thereof)... but even the real reason that there should be any standards at all.

I am intending to write a series of letters to you all. I think I will probably title it something like, “Apricot Pie and True North.” In it, I want to be open with you all. Transparent. Vulnerable, even. I want to share with you what is on my heart. And I hope also to resist the chains of perfectionism that so often stop me from writing in a vain attempt to organize my thoughts to my own satisfaction! :)

Oh, there are a lot of things I wish I could do with Apricot Pie, if only I had the time! There are stories I wish I could write, features I wish I could develop (I am a web developer, after all), and most importantly, all the content you write that I wish I had the time to read!

And, I’ll have to be honest… I could make some time to read some of what you write. And I hope to do so going forward.

Before I write my next letter, I would like to just say a simple thank you to you all. Thank you for being a part of this site, for making it what it is, for even wanting to write and share your thoughts in the first place. We’ve been on going for seventeen years now! We’re older than Wikipedia, and we’re certainly older than Facebook! And hopefully we will continue posting on this site for many years to come.

I hope to post my next letter to you all soon.

Your friend,
James