Last post
BY TOM FITZSIMONSThat's probably too grandiose a title for this blog.
Lost Boy I might be now, and for this week still, but six months ago I was just a humble Dominion Post reporter, unable even to get the attention of Lane and Nick as they strutted the newsroom, high-fiving each other and comparing their latest scarves and fake-diamond earrings.
You might say I've come a long way. I've posted about vegetarianism and the politics of Wellington's suburbs, a fight I almost got into and the arrival of my new baby son.
I've met blog fans on the bus and in the pub (the inimitable Astropuss), at Parliament and on the phone. And both of the original Lost Boys have independently told me they like me better than each other.
But it hasn't always been easy. I've often woken up of a morning and suddenly remembered it was my turn that day. Nick, in particular, has saved me countless times.
Like the other Lost Boys, I've been slagged off by anonymous commenters, especially regarding my apparently fallible contraceptive techniques.
And I've had to stare at my pale, guffawing face every time I've logged in to dompost.co.nz.
But look, it's ridiculous of me to be retrospective when I'm such a 'Johnny-come-lately' to the LBs.
So maybe I should just finish with everything I thought about blogging but hadn't got around to:
Like how much I hate big monopolistic companies like banks and telecommunication companies and power companies, that seem to deliberately use confusion and delay as their tools for dealing with customers.
Like swearing, and whether it matters, and when it's okay, and whether I should curb it now I'm a father.
Like government, the nanny state and political correctness gone mad, and how maybe it's all not so bad after all, this mixed-up system we've inherited in a country like New Zealand.
Like Coca-Cola, and why it's so damned tasty, even now I'm no longer a child. (According to this piece, it's because of its incredible concoction of citrus, cinnamon, vanilla and other flavours).
Like birds and how evil they are.
Like cleanliness. Like bed territory. Like podcasts. Like piracy. Like nerds. Like microbreweries. Like vocabulary snobs. Like my quest to become a wanker, by learning about jazz and chess.
Like my suspicions about hairdressers.
Like poverty, and how uncharitable New Zealanders are, and how much of our money we should all give away. (Peter Singer should be good on this at next year's Writers festival).
Like the word 'lummox'.
And that's about all I'd written down in my 'blog ideas' file. But seeing as we're the Lost Boys, like Nick I guess I'd maybe have found time to write something in praise of being lost.
It seems to me that there are plenty of people in the world who are plenty found - sure of themselves, going somewhere, right with their god, or their mortgage, or their life plan, or their child's sporting success.
And that's great, I guess. It's how you get things done. But, in light of recent experience, both with parental know-it-alls, and with the fragility of this magic new baby I've been dealing with, I'd probably have written a post at some point saying 'get lost'.
Making space for uncertainty, that might have been what I'd have praised.
It strikes me that it's this quality that both my fellow Lost Boys possess. It's probably why they're such lummoxes, and they lurch from mishap to misadventure, but it's also why I admire them both a great deal.
Goodbye, good luck, and get lost.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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So why exactly are you 3 packing it in?
We've seen 3 posts that said nothing (actually we've seen hundreds over the years that said very little - but I digress).
Tom could continue to blog under the babies and parents blog, and the other two could reinvent themselves in the blogosphere.
Bye, guys! I'm still a bit gutted to see y'all go, but I can imagine blogging gets old after a while.
Best wishes to you all, happy festive season and thanks for all the laughs. :)
What was pretty unique with the Lost Boys was that it was a blog about man things. With its demise there's precious little on the topic left.
Anyway, good luck with the baby Tom. Doubtlessly your byline will continue to appear from time to time elsewhere.
And merry christmas.
Thats kinda the point eh au, a mixed up system thats kinda so old it should fall apart, well how bout we get a new one, be more efficient and still live in paradise, we won't be if we carry on like this, i can't swim or drink from the river, now ain't that something and that goes right back tooo... yea the muddled old system thats stabbing in the dark doing more damage than good oh no they're getting angry, they ain't god and doesn't e have clay feet or someit anyway, ya mean ya can't see how we shouldn't be able to sort out our own problems with 4 million...people, k.
Scrappy Doo... it's been lots of fun while it lasted. To you, Shaggy and Scooby, your partners, and of course, the little Fitz, all the best for 2010 onwards.
May your journey's be safe, and your journalistic careers soar (oh yeah, can they also future less shirtless photo's unless they come with a warning or disclaimer - I just about choked on my coffee yesterday). Cheers
Cheers guys - ehjoyed your bolg and am sorry that it is ending. Perhaps it is best to go out while youre at (near?) the top. Very few blogs are about men so will miss this one. All the best to you all.
I like those topics! Keep blogging Tom And hugest congratulations on being a dad.
You intrigue me, what are your suspicions about hairdressers?
I fully had a dream last night that the Lost boys were back under another title because they were no longer lost. So basically Nick was about to get married to the Southern Belle and Lane had decided it was time to grow up with the new chick. So it was now the "Found Boys".
The "this is our last blog" thing was all a fake and they came back in 2010.
If I am dreaming about this then yes, I clearly have issues.
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Tom, Lane, Nick,
I've only known you through the blogging this year on the back of my return from the UK and the readjustment to life here (I'm leaving again next year). It would have been so much harder without you all to poke fun at and make me have a laugh and a groan every so often.
Nick - you're an idiot, but you're grand and I will really miss your posts. Good luck with you and the Southern Belle.
Lane - you've a new girlfriend... my heart is broken. Ha ha, NOT. Man I was so sure it was Greer... LOL. Have fun with it, take it as it comes and plan your next trip!!!
Tom - you're a s*** stirrer, love it. I've really enjoyed your posts. Hope you keep writing in one form or another. Keep the door open for you and the dynamo to get out there and do things. Remember to be a kind father, everything else will follow and all the best.
Hugs and happy holiday season to you all. :D