- Staff
- #1
This is going to be long - shocker 
I might as well just pull off the bandaid right away.
Today, I'm announcing my retirement from my position as Editor and Staff Writer at THP. I've wrapped up my final reviews, passed on a few words of advice to my fellow writers, and am finally ready to let go.
To say this was a painful and difficult decision would be an understatement. In fact, it's one that I've labored over internally for almost a year now. Giving up all that I worked so hard for, for so many years, was something that I struggled with for a very long time. But, we all must move on at some point, and for me that time is now. As my family has grown, my free time has shrunk and the fact of the matter is that my personal, extracurricular pursuits have become less important. That's just life. This job deserves somebody that can devote more time than I have available to offer.
When I was 18 years old I worked at a BBQ place and was planning on quitting. I told a journeyman cook my plan and how they'd all be screwed without me, and he gave me some words of wisdom, "Nobody is irreplaceable, Ryan. You'll be gone tomorrow, we'll all be here, and the world will keep on turning." I mention that because I think we all overestimate our self-importance at times, and I'm not going to do that. This place will grow and move on without me. It will be different, but it will persist and it will be successful.
This all started with a contest in 2010 that I think I entered at the very last second. THP was just a shadow of what it is today. I wrote an audition review of a driver that most of you probably wouldn't even remember existed. And I won. A guy like all of you have been at one point. Struggling to break 100. Just in my infancy of knowledge about the game and its equipment. A true ugly duckling story I guess, which should tell you just what is out there for you if you take a chance and work hard.
A couple years back I had a chance to take a more active role in the home page and apply some of my vision to it. It was a great leap of faith on the part of Josh and Morgan to let me have the input I did and I think in the end it was a success.
Over five years, I like to think I've come a long way. I know THP has come a long way. I was at least partially repsonsible for that and it's a big source of pride for me. We built the product that we wanted. We built a product that others wanted and some replicated. We saw the directions others were going in and decided we liked our vision better and that's what you all see today. Our vision in living form. Always changing and adapting, but at the core true to its principals of presenting the views of normal people and bringing those normal people closer to the industry that is supported by the game they love so much.
Throughout all this, there were some key values I tried to stay true to.
1) Integrity. While some people may not like me, I think they'd say that I always told it like I saw it, whether it was popular or unpopular to do so.
2) Adaptability. I am a big believer in self-assessment and questioning the things that I believe to be true. That took me on a number of journies and broadened my knowledge more than anything else. It's very easy to blind yourself when you don't question your beliefs and the beliefs of those around you. Great people have known forever that when you stop asking questions, you stop being smart. No matter what, I didn't want to think that I'd learned it all or knew it all
3) Impartiality. This is never easy and takes constant self-awareness, something all of us lose at some point. I am imperfect person, but god knows I tried my ass off every day. I am proud that there are a number of small companies that have thanked me and THP for the fact that we gave them an even playing field on our home page. I am 100% comfortable with the legacy I leave here.
4) Responsibility. Above all, I felt a great obligation to protect your dollar. In some cases, or in many I guess, that resulted in me giving lame answers to the many questions I was asked, but I did feel like it was my duty to at least toss out there that whatever shiny object had your eye might not be any better than what you had in your bag.
Some thank you's....
Though I've thanked them both personally, I'd like to thank Josh and Morgan once again for their contribution to this time in my life. I look back often in amazement in what I've been able to do and see thanks to my position at THP and I do hope they know I have tried hard to never take that for granted. Sometimes the exceptional becomes the norm and we lose sight of just what it is that we are doing, but know that I will always look back at what we did here as meaningful and rewarding.
To the staff members that contributed to my success or just shared a seat on the bus with me - thank you. I know that many of you will continue to emphasize the values that I believe so much in, and I trust you know why they are so important.
To those of you that I call friends, thank you. I'm not a big friendster guy and for pure self preservation have learned to put myself in a bit of a protective shell, but there are a number of you that cracked it and a number of you that were worth letting it get cracked.
And finally, but most importantly, to the readers, both on the forum and not on the forum. Thank you for your support for the last five years. Without each of you, there is no THP and there is no Hawk as you all know him. Thank you for encouraging me, challenging me, and trusting me.
And a few parting words...
Above all, we do this all for enjoyment, so enjoy the game and this place the way you want to. Be a free thinker. Be your own person. Understand that sometimes it is what makes us different that makes us valuable. And don't be a dick. Yea, I need to listen to that advice myself sometimes, but don't be scared to be you and get what it is you want from the game and what you want from THP.
The internet is a powerful medium, where it seems that every corner has somebody on it trying to tell you what to think and where to spend your money. Find somebody worth trusting to listen to, but don't forget that you truly have the power as a consumer.
And with that, I guess I'll take a bow and say farewell. I'm not leaving, but I'm certainly not going to have the presence that I have had over the last five years. This is a new chapter in my life's story and one that I'm extremely excited about. I'm going to pursue more coaching opportunities with my son and maybe revisit some passions that I left by the wayside years ago like music and the outdoors. Of course, I'll still be hacking around the golf course too and I think it's safe to say many of you will see me somewhere along the way.
Peace!
Ryan
I might as well just pull off the bandaid right away.
Today, I'm announcing my retirement from my position as Editor and Staff Writer at THP. I've wrapped up my final reviews, passed on a few words of advice to my fellow writers, and am finally ready to let go.
To say this was a painful and difficult decision would be an understatement. In fact, it's one that I've labored over internally for almost a year now. Giving up all that I worked so hard for, for so many years, was something that I struggled with for a very long time. But, we all must move on at some point, and for me that time is now. As my family has grown, my free time has shrunk and the fact of the matter is that my personal, extracurricular pursuits have become less important. That's just life. This job deserves somebody that can devote more time than I have available to offer.
When I was 18 years old I worked at a BBQ place and was planning on quitting. I told a journeyman cook my plan and how they'd all be screwed without me, and he gave me some words of wisdom, "Nobody is irreplaceable, Ryan. You'll be gone tomorrow, we'll all be here, and the world will keep on turning." I mention that because I think we all overestimate our self-importance at times, and I'm not going to do that. This place will grow and move on without me. It will be different, but it will persist and it will be successful.
This all started with a contest in 2010 that I think I entered at the very last second. THP was just a shadow of what it is today. I wrote an audition review of a driver that most of you probably wouldn't even remember existed. And I won. A guy like all of you have been at one point. Struggling to break 100. Just in my infancy of knowledge about the game and its equipment. A true ugly duckling story I guess, which should tell you just what is out there for you if you take a chance and work hard.
A couple years back I had a chance to take a more active role in the home page and apply some of my vision to it. It was a great leap of faith on the part of Josh and Morgan to let me have the input I did and I think in the end it was a success.
Over five years, I like to think I've come a long way. I know THP has come a long way. I was at least partially repsonsible for that and it's a big source of pride for me. We built the product that we wanted. We built a product that others wanted and some replicated. We saw the directions others were going in and decided we liked our vision better and that's what you all see today. Our vision in living form. Always changing and adapting, but at the core true to its principals of presenting the views of normal people and bringing those normal people closer to the industry that is supported by the game they love so much.
Throughout all this, there were some key values I tried to stay true to.
1) Integrity. While some people may not like me, I think they'd say that I always told it like I saw it, whether it was popular or unpopular to do so.
2) Adaptability. I am a big believer in self-assessment and questioning the things that I believe to be true. That took me on a number of journies and broadened my knowledge more than anything else. It's very easy to blind yourself when you don't question your beliefs and the beliefs of those around you. Great people have known forever that when you stop asking questions, you stop being smart. No matter what, I didn't want to think that I'd learned it all or knew it all
3) Impartiality. This is never easy and takes constant self-awareness, something all of us lose at some point. I am imperfect person, but god knows I tried my ass off every day. I am proud that there are a number of small companies that have thanked me and THP for the fact that we gave them an even playing field on our home page. I am 100% comfortable with the legacy I leave here.
4) Responsibility. Above all, I felt a great obligation to protect your dollar. In some cases, or in many I guess, that resulted in me giving lame answers to the many questions I was asked, but I did feel like it was my duty to at least toss out there that whatever shiny object had your eye might not be any better than what you had in your bag.
Some thank you's....
Though I've thanked them both personally, I'd like to thank Josh and Morgan once again for their contribution to this time in my life. I look back often in amazement in what I've been able to do and see thanks to my position at THP and I do hope they know I have tried hard to never take that for granted. Sometimes the exceptional becomes the norm and we lose sight of just what it is that we are doing, but know that I will always look back at what we did here as meaningful and rewarding.
To the staff members that contributed to my success or just shared a seat on the bus with me - thank you. I know that many of you will continue to emphasize the values that I believe so much in, and I trust you know why they are so important.
To those of you that I call friends, thank you. I'm not a big friendster guy and for pure self preservation have learned to put myself in a bit of a protective shell, but there are a number of you that cracked it and a number of you that were worth letting it get cracked.
And finally, but most importantly, to the readers, both on the forum and not on the forum. Thank you for your support for the last five years. Without each of you, there is no THP and there is no Hawk as you all know him. Thank you for encouraging me, challenging me, and trusting me.
And a few parting words...
Above all, we do this all for enjoyment, so enjoy the game and this place the way you want to. Be a free thinker. Be your own person. Understand that sometimes it is what makes us different that makes us valuable. And don't be a dick. Yea, I need to listen to that advice myself sometimes, but don't be scared to be you and get what it is you want from the game and what you want from THP.
The internet is a powerful medium, where it seems that every corner has somebody on it trying to tell you what to think and where to spend your money. Find somebody worth trusting to listen to, but don't forget that you truly have the power as a consumer.
And with that, I guess I'll take a bow and say farewell. I'm not leaving, but I'm certainly not going to have the presence that I have had over the last five years. This is a new chapter in my life's story and one that I'm extremely excited about. I'm going to pursue more coaching opportunities with my son and maybe revisit some passions that I left by the wayside years ago like music and the outdoors. Of course, I'll still be hacking around the golf course too and I think it's safe to say many of you will see me somewhere along the way.
Peace!
Ryan
