I noticed yesterday my 10,000th post was fast approaching and was sort of amazed by it. I don't pay a lot of attention and the last time I really noticed I think I was in the 8,000 range somewhere.
I was thinking... wow, this should be some profound post about life and the time that's passed, or something.... But the more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that all the posts are really like that, to greater and lesser extents.
Every time we post here we share a piece of ourselves - good, bad, ugly, sad, jealous, quick-tempered, even-handed, compassionate, flirty, sexy, and on and on. I thought about all my posts and what they've accumulated to, and I guess I hope that the positive outweighs the negative. I am my true self here so I hope that my posting reflects that. I think those who know me think it does, but I really do hope it is.
Dimensions has been a wonderful place for me. I've tried very hard to give every bit as much back as I've taken, but I know in my heart that's really not even possible. 10 years of learning and accepting and growing have left marks in my future that just can't be taken away, and I know that my contributions here will never be that way. Words on a screen, in time may be lost, and never leaving that type of impact... but if it's even a small percent, then I'll be happy.
So, as you're all moving up and posting and newbies are trying to fit in, think of the things you share and say. Think of the way you want to look back on your time here, what you've gained (acceptance, pride, confidence) and all that you've lost (shame, self-consciousness, perhaps isolation) and how you'd like to pay that forward on these boards.
I'm sorry, this probably sounds a little preachy and VERY self-indulgent, which wasn't my intent. Although I guess in a post about your contributions, the latter is hard to avoid. It's just that having been here for so long, I cherish what this site means and represents for so many. I know it's still doing all of those things for people, and I LOVE to see the change in people as they drink it all in and see a new way to view their life/preference/body/world. It's amazing.
So, while some of them may have been one liners or "cut it out" in mod mode, every one of the 10,000 was a piece of me. Sincere and quite possibly something I learned since coming here so many years ago.
I was thinking... wow, this should be some profound post about life and the time that's passed, or something.... But the more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that all the posts are really like that, to greater and lesser extents.
Every time we post here we share a piece of ourselves - good, bad, ugly, sad, jealous, quick-tempered, even-handed, compassionate, flirty, sexy, and on and on. I thought about all my posts and what they've accumulated to, and I guess I hope that the positive outweighs the negative. I am my true self here so I hope that my posting reflects that. I think those who know me think it does, but I really do hope it is.
Dimensions has been a wonderful place for me. I've tried very hard to give every bit as much back as I've taken, but I know in my heart that's really not even possible. 10 years of learning and accepting and growing have left marks in my future that just can't be taken away, and I know that my contributions here will never be that way. Words on a screen, in time may be lost, and never leaving that type of impact... but if it's even a small percent, then I'll be happy.
So, as you're all moving up and posting and newbies are trying to fit in, think of the things you share and say. Think of the way you want to look back on your time here, what you've gained (acceptance, pride, confidence) and all that you've lost (shame, self-consciousness, perhaps isolation) and how you'd like to pay that forward on these boards.
I'm sorry, this probably sounds a little preachy and VERY self-indulgent, which wasn't my intent. Although I guess in a post about your contributions, the latter is hard to avoid. It's just that having been here for so long, I cherish what this site means and represents for so many. I know it's still doing all of those things for people, and I LOVE to see the change in people as they drink it all in and see a new way to view their life/preference/body/world. It's amazing.
So, while some of them may have been one liners or "cut it out" in mod mode, every one of the 10,000 was a piece of me. Sincere and quite possibly something I learned since coming here so many years ago.
