Posted by Ruth on November 02, 2008 at 4:21AM
In Reply to: Connections posted by ShadowRand on October 30, 2008 at 2:14PM:
Oh this is bad: I actually saved a previous one of these from back in 2005, and, worse, I have the groanable gall to re-post it here.
I admit it. I'm a painfully gushy old hippie. I did delete some of the gushiest parts that are even too much for me to read nowadays. I feel a lot calmer now that I'm no longer stressed nearly to death after retiring from working as a Vancouver East Special Needs schoolteacher. And I own a house for the first time in my life (or the bank owns it), having moved out of Vancouver East and the cesspool of Surrey: to the beautiful farming city of Chilliwack, 2 hours east of Vancouver and getting a mid-California gardening climate. It's a huge house, big enough for me to rent out almost every room to tenants and live comfortably on that income while gardening, woodworking, writing an autobio, and operating a licensed tutoring & typing home-business -- while the Husband commutes via carpooling. Life is far far better than when I wrote that 2005 post.
But I have this to say, most sincerely: This Portalstone community has been a godsend for me; reading everyone's WoT reviews/critiques/lampoons and other myriad writings, plus enjoying your chats, opened my cosmos beyond the stifling crap I had to read in my dayjob. I learned from people caring to give me deserved heck as well as cherished friendship and support. I think I learned the most, actually, about myself and trying to understand people, generally, from Donna.....
Yes I still have never read WoT. But I've read ALL OF YOU. What this community feels and expresses means the world to me. Sometimes I disagree -- that's not the point. The point is that you make me think and open my mind; I cherish this community of READERS, those who think of this world and beyond. And many of you are hilarious, too! I've had such belly-laughs here.
May, 2000, I began here. Thank you, Donna and Matt, for letting me stay, and, surprisingly to me, for always making me feel welcome.
xoxoxoxo Ruth.
Here's that 2005 post if you can stomach it.
In Reply to: it's alive!! The board, it's alive!! :-) So, shall we do a roll call? posted by Kit on October 11, 2005 at 4:37PM:
Ive been haunting this fine abode since May 10, 2000. Only a couple weeks after Patrick first showed up. I believe that the spirit of Paddys mama had something to do with leading me here. The very very very best thing that has happened to me in the last five years has been Patrick Michael Hayes. He has adopted me as his auntie, and I have adopted him as my beloved nephew. He (along with his sister Meghan....) is a wonderful part of my life. I love you, Paddy.
I was surfing my cousin Krist Novoselics name on the MSN surf engine Id never heard of Google (I first heard of it when Donna mentioned it), and Id only become internet-savvy since 1997. In one music sites board, many people were disrespecting my cousin, saying that he was only incidental to the obvious genius of Kurt Cobain and high talents of Dave Grohl. I spotted one guy, going by the name of jaco pastorius (reminding me of my 1980s Weathermen listening days), who told them all that they were full of bollocks, that Krist had fine bass axe talents. Impressed by the guys spunk, I wrote him a complimentary thread and left my email address. The guy wrote back. A British senior high well-read spunky gent named Christopher. He (as jpj) and his esteemed pal Melvie (Ryan) led me to The Portalstone which had recently transformed from a previous manifestation of something or other that I didnt understand. There we chatted. And there, to my delight, were so many other well-read spunky young folks! jpj made me his aes sedai, and brought me to this sanatarium-refuge. I've visited other sites, but it's you people who keep my spirit intrigued, refreshed. I often *learn* from you.
Im an old hippie lady from eastside Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I was bored to tears with my old buds who dont give a crap about reading or listening to music any more. I was bored to tears and burned out about teaching elementary school. PoL people love reading, love chatting about reading, and many of you love fine music. I was also delighted by the worldwide diversity of people at the PoL: very young to older than me, every skin shade, almost every continent, any sexuality, kaleidoscopes of cultural, political, and socio-economic backgrounds: all excited about reading, all sharing this diverse PoL home. I was impressed by Donna and Matts libertarian attitudes; they might be too harsh sometimes or too lenient other times in my or anyone elses point of view but they dont practice hurtful elitism, meaning: anyone is welcome as long as we dont piss them off! *lol* Even if we do piss them off, Donna and Matt patiently (or impatiently *lol*) educate first and give a person a chance. Like me, for example, for which I am grateful. Christopher had been one of those unfortunates who pissed off Donna and Matt more than once lol to a point which got him banned. I'm sorry about that, but *sighs*... Anyway, Christopher and Ryan have long since grown up and moved on. But, we still occasionally keep in touch; both guys have been there for me with some hugging words in some of my down days. Ill love them dearly forever, especially my sweet friend and Gaidin, Christopher-jpj-jaco.
I love checking into to the PoL because I enjoy reading anything you PoL WoT readers write and chat about. You have great spirits, all of you. I so enjoy your intelligence, and especially your senses of humour. Ive had some great laughs from you people!
One of my finest laughs was when Larry Homer posted his own awards ceremonies. He gave me the Never Having Read WoT Award! Its true that Ive never read any WoT yet. Fern bought and sent me a paperback of Winters Heart, bless her heart, and I bought myself RJs Volume 1 as well: but I still havent read them! Im an old lazy dinosaur, admittedly. Its just that I enjoy reading everyones reviews, questions, complaints, excitements, and humourous ditties so much more.
.....(People here) have encouraged me to read the stuff, but Im still WoT-illiterate through laziness. I read gardening books, (auto)biographies, war novels, and funny stuff by Groucho Marx and Al Franken.
.... yes, yes, one day I will read a WoT.
Until then, I should continue to be the recipient of the Never-Having-Read-WoT-but-Loves-Reading-WoT-Readers Award.
Cheers,
xoxoxo Ruth Lowther.
Originally Otie, then Lotuslander, now just plain Ruth.