Hello...this is Valhall...just weighing in on my daughter's account...
As a guest that no longer logs in I would like to say the following two things:
1. Kudos to whomever decided to bring this back to the public forum. What happened with this disturbed young man cannot be taken as a some dark
shadow on the ATS community. This was a young man that was haunted by the mental demons that many of us luckily have never had to battle, and many of
us cannot comprehend. The only shadow some of us may have right now is the overwhelming feeling we may not have paid attention enough...that there
was something personally we could have done or said. That feeling will be on an individual basis...not a community basis. ATS as a community does
not claim, nor need the responsibility of caring for the mentally disturbed.
2. Speaking just as a human being that enjoys devoting part of my real life to a society made up of other people's written words I will personally
be taking away the following lesson:
The words we read on discussion forums like this can so often be taken as nothing but written content...i.e. the facts - the message and that's it.
But behind those written words is a face and a heart trying to communicate. It is so easy to completely dismiss the existence of that face, of that
heart of another child of God when we cannot see them. But maybe there is something **I** (read we) can do that allows me to grow as a person in the
cyber world, the same way we each (hopefully) are trying to grow in the real world. To read as if the expression can be seen. To listen to the
screams and the whispers that are muffled by the pixels. To ask (in private) if there is anything that needs to be discussed. To tell some one that
we feel may be in need of nothing more than kindness...I care and I will be your friend to the best of my pixelated ability.
To all my family and friends here at ATS - this is a sad day. I cry. I just want every one here to know, that even though I no longer log-in...I
care about you guys...I'm grateful I was able to get to know you...and I'm listening to the
words behind the pixels.
God bless all of you...my prayer is that each of us become better stewards to each other. The world needs a lot more kindness - this boy needed
it...I missed that.
With love and a sad heart...Valhall.
