Thread: Mid-life crisis?

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Last night some idiot posted to a 5+ year old thread started by hotrod daddy (John), who recently rejoined the fold. Bill had to ban the idiot, but the former thread respondents triggered a few thoughts.

This internet thing is a wonderment. We're not awash in postings on this small community compared to some. The good about that is if someone has a question that can be answered it doesn't disappear down a long list of postings in a matter of minutes. On the flip side the pool of talent, while of good quality here, is limited somewhat revealing only a few options. Again, a good thing in some instances, not so much in others. The other very good thing, by my estimation anyway, is that with a managable number of players, with ebb and flow, we can get to know one another better.

In the earlier days of trying to build and expand the site we often referred to it as a virtual club house. In reality it functions very much like the real one that you might have in your town. You walk in the door, introduce yourself (hopefully) and start to interact with those already there. If you're shy that might take longer, if you're more bold, you might roll right in. Of course to the new guy the familiarity that the existing members have, and the horsing around that ensues, might give the impression of cliqueishness. Hope that is at the minimum, because I see it more as a sign of openness and friendship.

People come, and people go. Some with great flourish, some quietly. Some are taken as their time ends, others set fire to themselves (figuratively) and are extinguished (electronically), and some just move on to other pastures.

This is not intended to be maudlin, just a reminiscence of good acquaintance and enriching interaction with friends outside our physical (as opposed to virtual) sphere. The above mentoned thread was fairly short, 3 pages, and is now closed. There were only a handful of respondents, surprisingly few are still here on a regular basis. Three, that I know of, have passed on: C9x (Jay Carnine), Dhotrod (Dennis), and lt1s10 (Mike), with a fourth, Twitch who hasn't been heard from since announcing a serious illness. Others have passed (to be acknowledged at another time), but what struck me was they all showed up in this one thread. The MIA, those who were pretty active for awhile then faded away, are Hot Rod Angel and Kitz. We've most often tried to encourage the gals who brave the room to contribute, with modest success. Glad Barb is "tough enough" to endure, but miss Angel and Jerilynne especially. And, one last mention, there were a few infrequent posters in that thread, but the one I remember the most is some guy named Don Hulgas. Given his odd behavior I'm certain he's been carted off "to the home" to wile away the hours in drooling fantasy...........

Thanks to all of you who continue to enrich our lives here, you're all friends.