THE RAGER! – Just a Short-Term Goodbye

Columns, Top Story

If you’ve listened to the end of the most recent Classy Ring Attire, you probably have a good idea about what this RAGER will be all about but I wanted to do something along the same lines here because I was writing this long before the CRA idea ever came about and I was always more open about my personal life here.

My RAGERs have become scarce the past few months and there are a few reasons for it but the main reason was my dad’s declining health. Those of you that have read since the very first RAGER in March of 2011 might remember the random thought at the end of that column in which I carried out a special request by my dad just because it was a question he wanted somebody to answer. I think it was something about the post office bathroom or something along those lines. And throughout the past 3 years, I would mention him here and there, either his reaction to various times he actually watched Raw with me (he wasn’t a fan of present-day wrestling) or if I was talking about his medical condition and it’s peaks and valleys. And though this is a wrestling column, I also used RAGER as catharsis for my own peaks and valleys, not to brag or expect pity but in moments of extreme emotion, sometimes it’s good just to know that other people are even aware of said emotions and that’s all. You all have always responded with kindness or jokes when I needed the humor and I’ve always been thankful for it.
On October 20th, my dad passed away at the age of 55, ending his 5 year battle with melanoma. It’s been 3 weeks since he’s passed and things have finally slowed down enough to where I returned to Classy Ring Attire and now can collect my thoughts and write all of this out.

As I stated on the podcast, I’m sure writing a wrestling column wasn’t exactly what he would’ve imagine I’d be doing right out of college but he knew I was always happier when I had some sort of creative outlet and that’s exactly what this column is and so he was encouraging. He was even secretly a reader himself, a fact he never revealed to me until about a year ago.

My dad was an incredibly encouraging person even in the face of a situation in which it would’ve been acceptable for him to be cynical about everything. He encouraged my sister and I to be unlike anybody else and, most importantly, become the people we were meant to be. And so I want to pass on this encouragement to all of you. Take chances and pursue all that is near and dear to your heart. Find a passion for something, no matter how big, small or silly it might seem.

Side note: since it’s all kinda fresh in our minds and given my closeness to the subject, don’t donate to organizations that are dedicated to “raising awareness” for cancer. It’s kind of hard to find someone in this world that isn’t aware of cancer in some form. If you feel the need to donate, find an organization that raises funds for research or aids the patients themselves. The best way is to donate straight to your closest cancer institute, most hospitals have specialized facilities as it is. My family has had a direct contact with the great people at the Duke Cancer Institute and with continued support, they and those like them will continue to work towards better treatment and better care in the future.

But the overall point of this post is really for me to tell everyone that I’m going to be taking some more time off. Doing a podcast with a co-host is one thing because I’m not expected to carry the conversation every week but sitting down alone with my thoughts and forming into something comprehensible and engaging is kind of a challenge at the moment. Unfortunately, I’ve had a couple personal things pile on top of what I’m already dealing with and it’s going to take some time to get everything sorted out. So in the meantime, I’ll be taking a break from RAGER and right now, I’m thinking that I’ll at least be back for Wrestlemania season. Until then, I’ll still be on Classy Ring Attire and posting those here on Pulse Wrestling and I’m sure I’ll continue to post on the PPV Roundtables with all of your favorite columnists.

So I just wanted to let you all know what was going on as well as hearing it all from me as to why I wasn’t posting anything. Thank you everybody for reading this and reading all the other garbage I’ve flung at you for the past 3 ¾ years and I promise I will be back soon with a renewed energy and hopefully somewhat decent insight. Goodbye for now.

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do twice,
Chris

The Answer: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

Chris is a writer from Fayetteville, NC. He's the co-creator of Irrelevant But Awesome Productions which produces podcasts you all know and love like Classy Ring Attire, Trashy Ring Attire and The Disney Magic Podcast. You can keep up with everything on twitter by following @IBAStudios and @CWSanders39