What qualifies us?

What I am wondering about is our backgrounds, our lines of work... we make all these posts and threads (with a good many being excellently done), but what do we bring to ATS? How do our personal experiences or interests add to ATS?

For instance, me.

I am the son of a Viet Nam vet and an "ex-hippie"; both taught me to never blindly follow what is accepted, to learn the truth by myself. My father is very much like Walt from Gran Turino and my mother is a Bible reading Wiccan.

I grew up seeing shadows, while being told it was my imagination, only to be told later on the truth (my mom hid her mystical side to "protect" us kids).

I am an artist, and a writer... as such (any artist can tell you) I can see the truth and bend it... or expose it.

I study religion and spiritual beliefs, all types and aspects. I love to learn all I can about human thinking and psychology, and can usually tell when someone's full of it.

And lastly, I work in security.

What's this bring to ATS? Probably not much!

[edit here on down]

I should also probably mention that I play Warhammer 40K heavily, so I know the truth about xeno scum... and that I'm a father of two boys (uggh), who I want to live safe.

[edit on 2009/7/21 by The Soothsayer]

Nice idea

I am in the Air Force. I spent 6 years as a 2W2 (Nuclear Weapons Specialist) at Minot and am now a 3M0 (Services) at Grissom.

What does that bring to the table? Well I know the inner workings of nuclear weaponry and can discuss only a little bit of it...so not much

on the plus side I am a part time chef so I can cook well :-p

-Kyo

Well, nice meeting you, KyoZero!

When I was in the Navy, I had taken and passed the Nuclear Field Exam... but opted not to go into that field. I don't know, something about wanting kids when I was older But seriously, I was just looking at the potential job market "back home" after I was done, and it just didn't work.

Anyway, nice to see you on here, and thanks for thinking this was a good idea. Too many people post stuff without explaining the why's or how's of what makes them qualified to say specific things, that it just doesn't lend any credibility.

Well...uh, I am not a professional or liscensed individual, I guess that is a strike one So, I will just have to rely on my life experience. I grew up in the rural midwest, some college with 96 hours of psychology, worked in a hospital for 25 years in support services (not a nurse), had a marriage in which I was abused both mentally and emotionally, a widow at age 40, I raised two boys, and I 'see" things too, have done some genealogy work and I guess that is about enough, except--I am not very politically knowledgeable, strike two and I also collect old bottles and arrowheads, I live to dig in the dirt, and that is probably far more than anyone wants to know, strike three

I was brought up in a military (USAF) family and had a high interest in codebreaking, cyphers, the paranormal and the occult from the age of 8.

When I turned 19, I had a profound break from reality (subsequently diagnosed schizoaffective) and began studying everything under the sun that could give rise and insight into what I had experienced, and to help regain and maintain my foothold in consentual reality.

I'm fairly well traveled, and always interested in other peoples personal accounts of the unexplained and unconventional.

I've held over 40 jobs in my life spanning the spectrum of employment, and have finally settled down as a writer, artist and part time film extra.

As far as ATS is concerned, I hope to share insights and study with others who are trying to make sense of this amazing universe and the wealth of experiences to be had therein.