Outside of the factual materials from which I have learned on this BBS, I have learned things about myself that I think will be very fruitful. I am curious if others have had a similar experience.

For one, on the Estrus thread last week, I was reading about how men are uncomfortable with women who can express their anger. Upon reflection, I finally got the answer to a question I had been asking myself for some time-I always wondered why I was attracted to women, including my wife, who were not afraid to express anger. When I thought about my mom, I put two and two together-She was physically and mentally abused, and for the most part just took it-we as children paid as high a price as she for this. When I was looking for a mate, I guess I vowed never to be around a women like that again. I love my mom, and she is great, but the family culture of "say nothing, do nothing around my dad's anger can no longer fly.

I also learned there was a place where I could flex my mind, stretch my brain, and express myself on topics of discussion I could not find in my life-what lesson is that? I have learned that it is okay to take risks with my thoughts-to put something out there and see how it flies-I may have been much more conservative in my non-virtual life.

I have also learned the topic of the first book I would like to write-And I have to thank Frank for that. In his skepticism toward astrology he asked myself and LunaC to predict lottery numbers; What I now want to do is study the natal charts of big lottery winners, and what transits they were experiencing on the "big" day. This may result in some very interesting data.

I have discovered that being on this board is NOT a waste of time. Thank you all for being a part of my life-for making my laugh, for making me think, for making me question myself, for making me angry, for just allowing me to be a part of this very strange group of people.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), May 23, 2000

Answers

I,VE LEARNED[TO MY SURPRISE]HOW MUCH GOD[HOLY-SPIRIT]HAS TAUGHT ME. THAT I WASN,T AWARE OF.EVERY DAY I LEARN A NEW FACET,OF GODS GRACE. and how true the scripture''life & death'are in the tongue''

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), May 23, 2000.

...allowing me to be a part of this very strange group of people.

I dunno'..."eclectic" sounds classier, doncha' think? -g-

-- LunaC (LunaC@LunaC.com), May 23, 2000.

FS,

Most Exellent,as usual.

It at first seemed to me that the big lure of "the net" was being able to be anyone you wanted,allmost.That it would be a great challenge to assume a different persona at any given moment.

That was a long time ago but now I find that the lure is,allowing the natural persona to shine through and emanate from the text,turning the text into humanity,good,bad or indifferent.I like being myself with yaw'll,besides it takes too much energy to hold up a facade that is only bullshit.

I agree,this board is not a waste of time and I enjoy each and everyone of you.Iv'e allways got alomg with eclectic,strange people; )

See ya in Las Vegas???

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), May 23, 2000.

I have learned that I like people, in general. I've also learned that I enjoy arguing as a means of understanding the bigger picture.

Thanks for the marijuana arguments Frank and Steve.

aqua (a.k.a. 2)

-- aqua (aqu@fin.a), May 23, 2000.

I don't know that I can pinpoint ONE thing I've learned about myself from this wildly diverse group, but I sure know I've thought about things of which I hadn't thought in years. As Ken mentioned in another thread at another time, it's oftentimes been like the University days when we all sat around discussing philosophies [even if they weren't our own], thoughts we'd had that maybe we felt too "GOOFY" to share with our folks or neighbors, etc.

The diversity of the group's thoughts is extended in the diversity of the topics presented. One thought leads to another and a whole new conversation unfolds from the first. It's like a conference-call with a group of people, only better because two folks can't talk at once and nothing is lost in the process.

This stimulation of thought processes is better, IMO, than reading a book because reading a book channels the thoughts to the one topic of that book and its offshoots. There's not been a day in the past several weeks when I haven't logged off and shared something we've discussed with my SO. He and I then find ourselves in a LONG conversation about that topic, which moves on to OTHER topics and I then find myself adding, "We talked about that as well...What do you think about...?"

As I said in another thread, I picked up my daughter from the airport a few nights back and we had dinner and discussed her trip. She brought up the subject of astrology [knowing I've never had much interest.] I think it was in relation to a young man she likes, but she's seeing in him the same jealous traits that she saw in a previous beau and said something like "I just can't deal with an Aries, certainly not after being with Andy so long with his TOTALLY non-jealous attitude." She's going to bring over a book she's read so I can determine for myself what I think of the author's comments. I said, "I know a few folks on the internet who don't just stop at a particular sign, but take it further to include houses and moons, etc. Perhaps if I give them your birth information, they'd be willing to give you a more in-depth astrological analysis of yourself." She asked if I would, so I am: Birthed March 29, 1979 at 7:08pm in Chicago, Illinois. Anyone game?

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 23, 2000.

The charts..where did I put th.here they are! Lets see, umm, got it! According to my research I can confidently state that this child, at birth, had a 96% chance of freezing its ass off if not kept inside of a warm House protected from the Moon. Howzat?

-- Ra (tion@l.1), May 23, 2000.

This is disjointed, but what the hey...

What have I learned about myself from being here? To which here do you refer? Original TB2000? This current incarnation? My response will encompass both.

Background: Im a part-time hermit. That is, when not working I enjoy being alone with just my dogs & cat for companionship (sorry honey). I enjoy solitude. I demand peace & quiet  downtime for me means a good book, birds singing, walking meditation, wood stove fired up, star gazing etc. Lots of time to think & be.

Im not a joiner of groups, not one to expose myself, figuratively speaking(!), to others. TB2000 was my first major attempt at reaching out to others, sharing with others my opinions since early grammar school.

My research on Y2K in early 1998 led me to believe there was a significant chance for problems which could disrupt the normal ebb & flow of society. I found in TB2000 a group of people who I felt were worth engaging (circa Thanksgiving 1998). I had a grand time reading & sharing opinions & experiences.

My opinion changed significantly by June, 1999 when the keys changed hands, TPTB began strong-armed tactical annihilation of quality debate. I boogied back to hermit status, with occasional forays into chats as rollover loomed.

I found this place quite accidentally a few weeks ago. Im glad it happened. Im enjoying myself immensely which translates to Im learning a great deal. Thank you all for contributing.

As I look back upon who I was then & who I am now, I see growth. Tremendous growth. I find my patience has grown substantially. My ability to read a flame & not be moved to flame back has matured. Thank you Andy and Ray! Most of all my willingness to share my core beliefs has been magnified greatly.

When I engage in exchanges with other humans, as opposed to say, Bingo Jr., I now have the confidence to express my views comfortably, if not clearly.

Last but not least, I now realize there are many, many other people who are much stranger than Ill ever be!

Thanks for asking.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@shentel.net), May 23, 2000.

I've learned that I'm good enough and smart enough and, DOGGONE IT, people like me!

-- (nemesis@awol.com), May 23, 2000.

Hmmm, encompassing this board and my previous posting fora.....

I like what Capn said; but funny thing is that while I KNOW you guys can't REALLY "see" me (uh, yeah, working on that picture guys), I don't look at it that way. I've been on the Internet a few years; posting, under two years; mail lists, almost four years. It never even occurred to me to "be someone else". My SO was simply amazed by that when I told him, even though he's "him" when he posts. It just never entered my mind. This is *me*, for better and for worse. I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam (in a manner of speaking).

IRL, I don't always "speak" like this; my writing is much more formal than my "conversation" (also, you can't hear the Brooklyn accent that comes flying out at times.....lucky you).

I've learned alot about who I am; I've learned even more from others with whom I've interacted on these fora. In both instances, yeah, I learned stuff I didn't necessarily want to know, but I did *LEARN* and that's what's most important.

I feel I've made "cyber-friends" and that has helped alot in my current situation of being in a new city and not knowing anyone (Cherri was right; a bunch of my "friends" moved with me).

In many ways I feel I've grown alot because of my interactions on this and other fora. I've been exposed to alot of diverse opinions and personalities and even though I may not agree with and/or like all of them, in total it really has been a learning experience. You guys (and others) constantly make me THINK about things and I can't describe the value that's added to my life.

There have been many concepts presented on this forum that I never really thought about; things that I feel I probably SHOULD be thinking about. It never would have happened if not for this board and others.

I could/would NEVER even consider that this board or any of the others on which I've posted were "a waste of time". How can anyone conclude that unless they've blocked the (obvious to me anyway) LEARNING EXPERIENCE that it is?

Like FS said, thanks to all.....and I agree with Luna, "eclectic" sounds so much more pleasant.

Besides, the older you get, the more you realize you can't have too many friends, even if they are cyber-friends :-)

-- Patricia (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), May 23, 2000.

I've discovered (again)--

It's never too late to learn new facts and ideas.

A virtual community can be more real than a real community (in my physical neighborhood, like many neighborhoods, people mostly go their own way).

Not all addictions are negative.

It is not easy to hide a personality on a computer screen. Slowly I have developed a feeling for who many of you are. Even when you (and me) are masquerading, a sense of the person behind the pose emerges.

My own opinions and the voice that articulates them has improved. I think fairly hard (usually) about what I say because, once in print, it must stand.

At the same time, I have become more fluent and coherent and confident in expressing myself. The writing we do is good practice.

The practice of writing my own thoughts for an audience is therapeutic and I thank you all for indulging me. It is zen-like; the practice itself becomes the thing of value.

I have learned to edit what I write. Not only do I catch typos and misspellings (sometimes) but, more importantly, I catch factual or logical errors or ideas that are unsound and better left unspoken.

I have learned some humility from my seeing many of my own careless thoughts in print and from reading your extraordinary insights and experiences. Also from reading your ordinary insights and experiences. We share many common concerns.

Laughter, laughter, laughter.

I have been reminded that brevity is not only the soul of wit. It is the soul of almost everything. So shut up already, Lars.

I have learned that brevity is not only the soul of wit. Brevity is the soul of everything.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), May 23, 2000.

Bingo1, I too require lots of time alone with my books, cats and dogs. I'm somewhat of a recluse--hell, I even hate to shop or go out and eat, and for a woman that's almost committing treason to admit it.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), May 23, 2000.

Lars, I think you have a wonderful kind of "self-deprecating" sense of humor. I, too, have learned alot in the line of "humility". A somewhat painful experience, but an experience nonetheless. Uh, yeah, there's that "brevity" thing too :-)

gilda, yep, I think that's treason [g]. OTOH, in today's world, it's completely understandable.

-- Patricia (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), May 23, 2000.

I accidentally hit the submit button. Patricia, it never occurred to me to be "someone else" either. Although on another forum I used a name that could be either sex and was mistaken for a man. In fact I got an email from a woman, wanting to meet me. Gawwdddd, I was so mortified, I asked that host site remove my name from that email address, and I never posted there again. Poor girl, I didn't have the heart to tell her I was a post-menopausal, senior citizen, grandma. So I just pulled the man thing, and cut and run.

Lars, I'm like Patricia, what you read is what you get. I really don't masquerade as anyone. I write like I talk, and I don't worry too much about typos and such. I wrote for a paper for several years and I was very careful there. But, since I don't watch every word when I talk with friends, I don't watch every word when I type, although I try to catch the most glaring mistakes.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), May 23, 2000.

Short list:

1)My typing has improved tremendously.

2)I have learned that I can ignore idiot savants. (Take a bow al-d)

3)I have learned that I am not the only nut who has kooky ideas about liberty, and

4)I have learned neat HTML tricks.

Oh yeah, I have also learned that Richard Dale has some seriously hairy eyebrows.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), May 23, 2000.

Look closely unc, they are falsies.

-- (nemesis@awol.com), May 23, 2000.

Me too...

-- Uncle Bob (Unclb0b@aol.com), May 23, 2000.

I've learned that people can actually do this...

then they use this...

Disclaimer: This is a joke and only a joke...

-- Peg (pegmcleod@mediaone.net), May 23, 2000.

Peg, I use that key on my Wintel machines often

I have read the posts and I agree with most of what has been said. No need to repeat it [I have been here since the beginning, or nearly so; long enough to remember Diane's first post].

In addition, Ive learned that the world contains a lot more paranoid people than I expected. Some strange ones too. It also contains a lot of people who believe every screwy story that they can find on the web. There are those who reach a conclusion and then search for confirmation. Then there are the people here.

I enjoy your company.

What have I found out about myself? One important thing. I am not home much of the time. That explains why the number one dog growls when I come through the door. As some of my work moves to EU countries, it will probably get worse. You get involved in work and don't notice these things.

Best wishe

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), May 23, 2000.

What have I learned from being here?

That I really don't belong here, lol. Other than that, I have found many people here who I disagree with on numerous issues but I still find them likeable. FS is one of them, as are most of those in this thread. I even find gilda growing on me, in a Paula Gordonish way, lol.

-- FactFinder (FactFinder@bzn.com), May 23, 2000.

For the past four months, I have learned nothing from this board . I have lurked this board for over a year.

In the past, on the old board, I always discovered " a brain to pick " Much to my delight.

Now this board is nothing but a " Chat Room ".

Lots of super egos, lots of.....well....Nothing...

I have seen little pertaining to anything of value.

It appears that Lady Logic and her antics are the main focus of all who post here.

I used to haunt this board, now I find myself, checking out the topics, and sadly leaving...........

I guess all good things must come to an end.

-- FWTW (Lurking@theEdge.com), May 23, 2000.

FWTW,

So start some threads and stop yer jerky lurking

-- (nemesis@awol.com), May 24, 2000.

I've learned that there are people out there (in here) who are actually crazier than me. Imagine that! =oP

-- cin (cin@cin.cin), May 24, 2000.

Cin,

Did you ring??? Oh sorry,wrong number.You mustv'e meant to dial another number; )

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), May 24, 2000.

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. I have learned who the folks are that allow themselves to be vulnerable enough to share on a sensitive, self-reflecting topic. I admire those who did- vulnerability is important to me in the quest to learn more about myself. Actors who allow themselves this kind of vulnerability are usually the best at their craft.

Thanks again.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), May 24, 2000.

Yeah FS, I agree.

And yes, I do know that I did not answer the question concerning what I learned about MYSELF here. That is because I am unable to seriously reflect upon my inner workings, lest I dig up something I'd rather not know.

Wait a minute, is that a self reflective lesson?

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), May 24, 2000.

Cin:

RIGHT ON!!!! Capn: I thought she had dialed me first.?

Overall, I've learned to be a lil more open-minded and to be open in general, even if it costs a lil something.

I have enjoyed almost all posters and how REAL folks can be behind the puter.

And most of all I learned the 'true' meaning of uncensored...LOL.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), May 24, 2000.