Good Morning!
It’s January 1st, 2025, and I’d like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!
As I mentioned on Patreon yesterday, in many ways, I’m happy to see 2024 in the rear-view mirror.
It was a challenging year for our family, but even amidst the difficulties, there were countless moments of joy and celebration.
Our biggest takeaway from 2024 was experiencing the overwhelming love, kindness, and support from our community after my mother’s passing, my father and father-in-law’s (multiple) hospitalizations, and, most notably, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
This incredible community pulled us through, and for that, we are deeply grateful. Thank you!
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we enter the new year, I’m committed to maintaining a positive outlook. One of my key goals is to continue pouring energy into the SWLing Post.
Over the years, the SWLing Post has grown into a vibrant and diverse community of radio enthusiasts, and it’s a privilege to curate so many incredible guest contributions. I’m constantly inspired by your passion for the world of radio.
On the home front, we hope to fit in some travel this summer and work on the long list of storm repairs.
A Fresh Start with Correspondence
If you know me, you know how much I value the time and effort people put into reaching out. I take great pride in responding to every email I receive.
That said, even in the best of times, keeping up with correspondence is a challenge. I typically receive 12–24 personal messages daily—sometimes more—and that’s in addition to emails from our family business, organizations, and other responsibilities. It all adds up.
After Hurricane Helene, I was deeply moved by the flood of supportive messages from SWLing Post readers. While I’ve read every one, replying has been a challenge. Between storm recovery, family commitments, and running the site, my ability to keep up with correspondence virtually disappeared.
Recent hand soreness from storm cleanup has made extended typing difficult, and my overly aggressive SPAM filter has likely deleted over 30% of messages from new senders. Despite my best efforts, my backlog now exceeds 350 individual emails, and I know some messages have been permanently lost.
Moving Forward
After much thought and advice from a friend, I’ve decided to implement a correspondence moratorium for 2025.
This means I’ll archive my current 2024 email backlog and start fresh.
If you’ve sent me a guest post, news tip, or story for the SWLing Post and haven’t heard back, please re-send it—I’ll prioritize those contributions and get them in the pipeline. (Those of you who have sent me articles this past week, I’ve got them in the pipeline.)
For those who sent notes of encouragement: please know I’ve read and appreciated every word, even if I couldn’t reply.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Looking to the Future
While storm restoration projects will continue into the summer, I’m optimistic about finding more balance this year. As my daughters start their university journeys this fall, my family and I are deeply grateful for the support and kindness you’ve shown us.
Here’s wishing you and yours a 2025 filled with joy, peace, and, of course, great DX!
Warmest regards,
Thomas (K4SWL)
