On Closings − 22 March, 2007
I use email closings like a god sweater. I wear one (and only one) until it gets too old. Then I go out and try to find another that looks as much like the first as possible. Like a good sweater, a closing can help you feel secure.
For the past 4 years I closed all of me emails (professional and personal, both) with "Peace." I used it because peace is something I believe in very strongly. You could say each closing was an affirmation of a higher cause. I'm not a religious person but if I were you could say I'd reserved a spot for prayer in every missive. Now I use "thrive" which is a kind of prayer. Thrive is the quality of life I want to evoke. My business and life both are efforts in living well or thriving. It's also an homage to one of my favorite people - a poetry professor of mine and friend of the family who died a yeah and a half ago, David Citino. He used to sign all of his letter with "Thrive" before he died. David was the kindest and most inspiring person I've ever known. He made me want to be a better son, husband, brother and dad. It's because of david I now insist that my employees spend time with their families. We work so hard it's easy to forget for whom you live. That's thriving.
Besides all that stuff, the alternatives are just dreadful. I feel like no matter what the content of my email I always want lighten the tone some. It's like a literary wink, I suppose. Signing off with 'sincerely' or 'best' just seems so impersonal. It's a way to end an email but it's totally forgettable. I want to be remembered.
Thrive!
K
Comments:
wade1j (March 23, 2007. 12:13am)
Great, now I have to come up with something. I'm thinking "smooch on the cheek". So, blah, blah, blah.
<br><br>
Smooch on the cheek,<br>
Jason
kga245 (March 23, 2007. 03:26am)
I always thought "yo mama" was a good way to end a letter, too.
edunn (March 23, 2007. 03:35am)
I think I will use sista from anotha mista! What do you think?
kga245 (March 23, 2007. 03:56am)
Works for me.
prettynoiselab (March 25, 2007. 05:33am)
Thrive is a great way to close a message. Looks like a great way to go. By the way, I could not see this blog on your dandelife timeline. What happened. While you are checking into it, check into my latest post of my Grandpa from 1919. This is why I dig dandelife.....
Doug
kga245 (March 25, 2007. 06:54pm)
Yeah, the timeline needs a bit of work. This story is there. But it's probably buried. Very soon, we are going to launch a better version that shows all the stories without having to scroll down. As for your grandpa's post - could it be that you haven't made that story public? I don't see it on your blog. Do you need me to show you how to do that?
prettynoiselab (March 25, 2007. 08:34pm)
Bizarre, it shows up in the timeline year 1919 as it should. So how do I make it public?
kga245 (March 25, 2007. 08:39pm)
Get to the page where you can edit the story (and make sure you're logged in). At the top of the story you should see "This Story is visible by". If you click on that text, you'll get options to make it a public story visible by others. If you want anyone to be able to read your story, choose "everyone". if you only want people whom you've designated as family or friends here on dandelife, then you select those corresponding options as well. HTH.
prettynoiselab (March 25, 2007. 09:56pm)
Got it! Go check it out. I'll be adding more content through the week.
Thrive!
kga245 (March 26, 2007. 04:01pm)
Very cool. I read some of the stories. Good work.