Christmas is around the corner – domainers rejoice!
A frosty Nor’easter wind was blowing cold air onto the Florida coast; remnants of frost on the ground would barely last after sunrise.
It was almost Christmas, and one man laid restless in his large, mahogany bed, rolling every couple of minutes.
The Domain King, Rick Schwartz, had reasons to be unable to sleep, and it wasn’t the shrieking, cold wind outside, or the sheer weight of the silk-lined covers on his bed.
“I can’t just sit idle, not doing anything, this retirement thing sucks. My blog has been gathering Spanish moss, I should have never announced that I’m retired from domaining,” muttered Rick Schwartz, sitting up.
Years of active domain investing have been taking a toll on the Domain King, whose blog posts were read by thousands of domainers, from the US, to Europe, to Asia and Africa. And now, 18 months of silence were just too much to handle.
Rick Schwartz put his woolen robe on, and stepped into his gold-threaded, soft slippers, then headed to his office and sat into his comfortable chair.
Across from his desk, the Domain King bobblehead moved its crowned head a few times, as if to greet the man it was cast from.
“I could just go back to blogging as if nothing happened, but would they think I’m seeking attention?
There are some real assholes out there in the domain community, judging everyone and everything,” muttered Rick, then opened his browser on the Domaining.com timeline.
The mere sight of bloggers’ feeds busy with news about domain names, domain investing and other joint ventures filled Rick Schwartz with a strong taste of nostalgia.
Gone were the days of daily rants, every single one starting with the familiar “Morning folks!” salute, that had become a trademark of the Domain King’s writings. Some were humorous, others were powerful statements of articulated wisdom; some were intense domain rants that only Rick Schwartz knew how to serve.
Rick sighed, then dialed a long-forgotten number on his trusted iPhone.
The phone rang a few times, and a sleepy voice was heard over the wi-fi enabled chat.
“Hello? Who is this? Rick??? Rick Schwartz, is that really you?”
Lucius thought that he was dreaming. The Domain King himself had called him at barely 7am, and what might be the reason?
“Yes, it’s me Lucius. How have you been? Listen, I have a big weight squatting on my chest and I’d like to get some steam out, are you willing to listen?” said the Domain King.
Lucius Fabrice could not believe it was finally happening.
After a year and a half of silence, this was the biggest sign that Rick Schwartz was alive and kicking.
Some notable domain sales had leaked into the media, including that of Porno.com for $8,888,888 dollars, but not a peep from the Domain King directly.
“Why, of course Rick, anything I can do for you! What’s going on?”
Rick paused for a second, then started pouring his heart out, reversing a painful silence that had instilled stress and pressure for a year and a half.
“Lucius, I can’t stand this retirement shit anymore.
I was an active domainer, and a King, and by retiring I’ve grown into a silent man, filled with misery. My head is bursting with plans for joint ventures, I want to share my wisdom with the domainer community and I feel gagged – by my own self, no less!
My Lord, it’s a martyrdom I never wish onto anyone, not even that poster boy for Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, Márcio Mello Chaves!”
Lucius swallowed hard, listening to the plight of Rick Schwartz hurt his very being.
The Domain King was not a happy man currently, and it was due to his very own decision to take on an oath of silence, and into retirement from active domain investing, the TRAFFIC conference, and blogging.
“Rick, I feel your pain. You’re a good man, Rick, and we love you – you know that!
Most guys I know, Sahar, Frank, Mike, Ron, Elliot, Francois, the Castellos, even that crazy BullS guy, are hoping that one day you’ll return. It’s not a big deal if you started blogging again, in fact, it’s a blessing to be able to turn your thoughts and innermost desires into words, to share them with everyone else.
Blogging is therapy, Rick, you among all of us should know that by now! So just go to Ricksblog.com and start typing, you can do it!”
For a few moments, the line went silent; Lucius could hear Rick Schwartz breathing, and almost feel the Domain King’s heart beating with ever-increasing excitement over such a positive response to his shared pain.
Finally, the man spoke:
“I’m going to do it, Lucius! I will do it! Blogging is such a blessing in disguise, I can’t believe I fooled myself with the retirement crap for 18 months! What a great gift you’ve given me for Christmas!”
Lucius smiled, as the Domain King’s words showed how much of a happier man he’d be through blogging; for himself, and to the domainer community, Rick Schwartz’s words on his daily blog posts felt like red wine mixed with fine honey.
“No worries, Rick, just do it. I’m proud of you, man!”
Rick Schwartz was overflowed with emotions of joy and happiness.
As he bid farewell to Lucius, his brain was abuzz with ideas and amazing plans for domain “joint ventures”, bigger and better than ever before.
“This is going to be the best Christmas ever!” said the Domain King, as he started typing his first blog post in 18 months.
Outside, the cold wind had died down, and a bright orange sun was warming Florida fast; what a glorious time to be alive, as an active member of the domainer community!
Haha DG, great story!