Your attention, please. I have some important news for you all. I realise that I probably couldn't have chosen a worser time to tell you, but unfortunately time is not with me. If you've been wondering why I've been horrendously slow on filling your work requests around the community at large, here is your explanation.
My Mother, Mum, Mom, Maternal Parent, whatever you wish to call her - she is very sick. In fact, she has lung cancer. It's apparently been in her for several years now; we had no idea. Only during the bushfires earlier this year - in which thick smoke blanketed the sky and infiltrated our houses - was Mum's respiratory system stressed past breaking point. A few tests, and we found out that she had severe pneuomonia (general term; means that you have foreign material obstructing the gas exchange in the lungs, eg. water or cold air). Later, we found that it was in fact a large tumour, not smoke particles, that was the root of the problem. Further testing ascertained that the tumour had stretched its sphere of influence as far as my Mum's heart. That's bad.
The news hit us hard initially and Mum's been hospitalised several times in the past few months; the family as a whole has been dealing with it fine, with a few adjustments (hence the two-month period when you saw no Array updates from me). However, just recently, Mum had begun radiotherapy - and though it will hopefully be having its desired effect, it is having hard side-effects. Her upper digestive tract, leading down to her stomach, is ulcerated from the continual exposure to radiation; she effectively can't eat anything even semi-solid. More importantly, we'll be beginning Mum's first course of chemotherapy in a week's time.
Here, however, is the crux of the message. Up until now we've all been able to bear the extra responsibilities without a great deal of problems. Now, though, it's no longer possible to continue in our normal lives while maintaining this situation; it's simply too much. Every member of the family has been forced to change their lives to accomodate this new part of our lives. The port of call that I have to answer is dropping my role as project leader of HLP - indefinitely. Not only my place simply here, but my place in the entire community.
As I said earlier, I understand that this is one heck of a time to take such a course of action: the development of the source code, something I have been waiting for ever since I joined the community, has finally begun; the community as a whole is in a stunning period of growth; and there are so many projects that I will be leaving hanging. Few of us if any have anything to gain from me leaving, but it's something I have to do - the odds are stacked up against me this time. I can't afford the extra time here when there's a life on the line. I can't express how sorry I feel to all of you. I must leave a some of you with a few words, though.
To the great guys over at BWO: Kellan, Ice and Bob in particular. I am so desperately sorry that I could not fulfill the role that you wanted for me, or complete the work you gave to me. I had hoped that my spare time would last long enough for me to get your jobs done, but the fuse ran out on me. Godspeed to you and your project - you don't need me to tell you that your campaign is going to be killer when it comes out, but it's all I can offer you in terms of encouragement now. You're a great group of people. Don't lose sight of what you first set out to achieve, and remember to have fun on the way. It's just a game, remember - and I'll be damned if you get anything except extraordinary satisfaction out of it.
To the entire Machina Terra team - especially Styxx. I am sorry I couldn't help you more; I couldn't even get you my voice. But who knows, one day maybe I'll come out of nowhere and share with you the pride of completing this monster of a project. Skippy, keep being the helpful self that you always are - we're all better off for it. Styxx, keep going strong my friend. Don't forget that few people will remember that you didn't take a single day off for what seemed like forever, but it may save your life and give you an incredibly well-deserved rest now.
Shrike... with you here, I leave the community in very capable hands. Note well, people, that without this man and his drive, vision, skill and knowledge (and also deep pockets for the vB), none of you would be here. Remember to thank him (not blame him).
Thunder: you were here from the beginning, and I hope that you'll be here to the end. Come back from your break as soon as you can and take the watch when you're good and ready, buddy; it's your time now.
Cobalt. I'm not entirely sure what to say to you. I'm looking at someone I've cried with, shared my life with, and done my best work with. I don't know how you do everything you do and on top of that, still keep a smile on your face and a rainbow in your eyes; maybe you are a real Technomage. If you're not, I don't know who is. Haha, on top of all that, thank you for restoring my faith that amiable programmers exist (daveb is exempt; he's a Volition deity).
To all of you, to all the people who are a part of this amazing place that we call HLP. I thank you for adding tremendously to my life; for changing me and making me a better person, in every way I thought possible and more (with the exception of my physical fitness, which has gone down the drain). You made this place, and you are its life... if I'd met you all in real life, I'd swear that such an outrageously funny, downright artistically brilliant, food-loving and computer-literate people were nothing more than an apparition. But here, it's not just real, but it's alive. Keep doing that thing you do so well here, each and every day (not spamming) - being a place, a group where people can come to hang around; show their work and get it constructively criticised or complimented; learn how to make things if they don't know already; become better people in social activity and intellect; and discover that there are places on the Internet that are not hellholes of scum and useless junk, but instead what the World Wide Web is really about. Connecting people and sharing what would otherwise not be possible. And in everything... remember what I would do. Whether it would be to offer constructive criticism, thanks, compliments, well-timed smilies, one hand for helping or two hands for getting up or in - just don't forget. I feel like I've given part of myself and become this Forum - and with my postcount, most of you would agree to some measure - but please, keep it in your heads, your hearts, your various appendages if you have more than normal. Remember me.
Lastly to everyone. Don't let this news get you down - I'll be out of the picture temporarily but when it comes down to the wire, my Mum will be going to Heaven or she will stay here. Either is good. So don't worry about that - instead, get on with your lives! It'll be wierd not to see this place for a period longer than 24 hours. I hope I can deal with it. I hope you can too.
Godspeed, everyone. I'll be back, one day. And if this place isn't better than when I left it, you know I'll be getting some five-letter smilies and using them liberally.
Bye, people.
