Dear Margo® by Margo Howard

I has a sad. :(

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.

Love Margo. :(

I will miss your advice, but having just taken the plunge to leave my 36 year career myself a year ago, have a wonderful time!!!

Farewell Margo and thank you for your many well balanced, intelligent pearls of wisdom over the years. You will be greatly missed!

AAAAAAAAARGH!

She was one of the few who made sense and who didn't often had a bad day.

I wish I could say I didn't see this coming, but for the last few months, you could tell her heart hasn't really been in her column.

Back about 3 or 4 years ago, she was extremely interactive with her wowOwow posters and I had the good luck several times to have her comment on my posts. Today I checked back in over there and here are some further words from her to the community over at wow.

"To one and all: I am really touched at your well wishes and the warmth you've shown for the column. Because it was carried all over the country in different newspapers I always felt that wOw was my real audience. I think this was so because of the posters – and because wOw was my Internet home. I do plan to continue writing – just no more advice. My boss and good buddy, Joni Evans, will probably kill me, but my next wOw piece is already written: it is an “appreciation” of Zsa Zsa Gabor, which of course can't run until … it is appropriate!
My best to you all – and my thanks.
Margo"

Meh. While I wish Margo well in her retirement, I guess I won't really miss her column. I always found it too self-absorbed and narcissistic for the real world.
.
But if they're looking for someone to replace Margo, I nominate our BTLer Mike H. He's always short, sweet, insightful and displays a lot of wisdom. With Diana and Chris thown in as guest columnists every once in a while to shake things up until our teeth rattle.

No-no-no - Lottie made more sense than everybody put together!
Well, I will miss Margo's column. It seems odd to see the second generation also moving on.

I have always thought Margo brought a wry humor to her advice that in was in no way dismissive. It was, instead, good-natured acceptance of that which is beyond our control, along with the realization that life really is funny, even when it's awful, and we humans are ridiculous. (I know I am.) It is also one of the reasons that her advice was often a creative departure from the platitudes parroted by other advice columnists, some of whom are beyond hackneyed. I'm sorry she's retiring, but I'm happy to know that I will never read a Margo Howard column that was the least bit hackneyed.

Second on the Mike H nomination. He writes well, he's probably the most balanced of us, and he's certainly one of the most compassionate. He'd make a great advice columnist!

...of course, there's always Lolley...

@ nanchan Re: #6

Hey girl, long time no hear from!!! I know we had our differences (admittedly, I usually enjoyed your calling me out and the well-intentioned sparring that ensued between us). You know I love ya hon! I sincerely hope you won't be a stranger over at the Annie's thread! Happy Mother's day!

I've always wondered how person with three marriages under their belt could give advice.

Oh, man! Margo's advice is so much better than that of the Annies!

Oh, man! Margo's advice is so much better than that of the Annies!

Say it ain't so, Margo!

Oops, you called it, Carla. I meant "Lollie" not "Lottie."
Patrick Turner - are you suggesting that a person who has been married three times hasn't learned anything along the way? In some ways, that is if they have - and I believe Margo has - leanred a great deal, they may be far more informative and offer a wider perspective than someone who hit it right the first time. For the record, I've been married three times and know a WHOLE lot more now, because of those mistakes, than I ever would if I had found the "right one" back when I was 19.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Boooooo! Margo rules!
I wish you well Margo, in whatever comes your way.

Margo, thanks so much for writing your column over the past few years. I loved and found it so refreshing, compared to the strange and stale advice of many advice columnists. I'm sorry you're retiring, because I'll miss you like I'd miss an old friend. But I hope your retirement from deadline journalism goes well... I know people have to move on, and it sounds like you have a good sense of when to do so. God bless and be well.

Awwww! :'(
I grew up reading your mom's column and came to love yours even more. I will miss your astute analysis, your humor and your heart. Thank you for all the great years of reading pleasure, and good luck in your "retirement," Margo!
(P.S. I hope the spirit moves you more often than not!)

Re: Maggie Lawrence #16
You know, I would compare this to my two voice teachers. The first one was a run-of-the-mill municipal career nondescript singer who was great a teaching technique. The second was an international diva who was born with a natural talent, and who had no idea how to fix technical problems in her students because she had never had any herself.

Lise, the same applies to college basketball: the great coaches are rarely great players. If a skill comes naturally to you, it's hard to teach it to someone else.

Bummer because I like you the most of all advce columnist.

I'm with JANE regarding having Mike do the column and for a twist, have Chris & Diane be guest opinion givers. There is one addition I would make though and that is to also have JANE do some guest opinion giving since she would balance things out by defending the male readers.

Thank you for all the advice. I've enjoyed pondering the life lessons brought about by your column. May your next chapter be full of adventure, love, and happiness! Life! #liveitandloveit

Re: Kimiko
That's what my father said when I suggested he recycle himself into academia. He was a child prodigy who was accepted in composition by one of the Quebec great masters after three months of piano study, was his mother's piano accompanist on professional concerts at 12, and one of the major musicians of the province. And he said he'd be zero at teaching because he didn't know what he did right and why it was right, he could only look at a piece of music on paper and tell you if it'll sound good.

Hey Margo, your forgot your trademark adverbial signature on your last column...:(