Drew Cosner's farewell message

All things must pass.

-George Harrison

George Harrison's famous musing is the most fitting way I could think of to encapsulate my thoughts. It's not a stirringly profound quote from a great literary classic, and it's hardly abstruse. It's just life's simple reality that can be so tempting to overlook. Since 1999 I have been attached to the GIA, if in an ever-changing fashion -- it's been a constant in my life. I've moved out of home, changed schools more times than I should care to admit, gone from one job to the next, made new friends and lost contact with old. Up until now, I've always had the GIA. Of course, the end had to come eventually, but "now" always feels a bit too soon.

Chalk it up as another one of life's lessons further reinforced. More than the writing experience or industry exposure attachment with the GIA has brought, I value the life lessons I've learned. Working for this site may not have been a non-stop parade of fun and excitement, but it has made me a wiser individual, and I'm forever thankful that I was given the opportunity.

While working towards making the GIA the most respected "fan site" on the Internet was always a motivational factor, it would have been a spiritually hollow experience were it not for the rest of the staff. Over the years, this staff's monstrous talent and dedication has rubbed off on me, making me a better person in the process. My more cynical side berates me for stating the obvious, but more than just coworkers, I consider these people my friends. While the GIA may pass, I suspect that we'll still be in contact with one another for the rest of our days. What more could you possibly ask of a simple video game website?

Yet there was more. From the outset, the GIA asked readers to treat video games as more than just a diversion, and our battle cry was responded to with resounding affirmation. While this mentality may owe more to the aging of the video game generation, it was always a joy to cater to a group of people who cared as much as we did, and who were as enthusiastic to propagate the notion as we were. I suppose I'm not breaking new ground here, but I want to join my fellow staffers in offering my thanks. You're a crazy bunch, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Were it not for endings, the period following inception would lose its importance. I'm just glad we managed to make so much of that time in between. And really, in life, that's the most you can ask for.

-Drew Cosner