Veteran Washington Post journalist Al Kamen today announced via Twitter that after 35 years at the paper, he’ll be writing his final column next week. His announcement has fewer than 50 RTs so far.

A few dozen RTs for an entire career. Barely a ripple by modern standards. Just a reminder of the fact that we’ll all eventually be passed by by the constantly changing media platforms of the day, until—if we manage to beat the odds and hang onto a job—we will one day be so far out of the loop and behind the times that our life’s work will count for almost nothing on the ephemerally prominent venue of the moment. Hot shit reporters of today will one day be faced with the fact that the professional output of our entire adult lives has been so thoroughly forgotten by our readers that it’s not even worth the click of a “RT” button, or whatever the hologram equivalent will be a few decades from now. To be honest, writers are better off dying young. At least you retain the dignity of being able to pretend that greatness lied ahead.

Congratulations on your retirement, Mr. Kamen. The only real news is that we will all join you in oblivion soon enough.

[Photo: AP]