What? Wait, what?
You don't have to wait ten years to post one of these??? Well, now you tell me...
Since I'm here, might as well keep going.
Hi there, I'm seagull, other wise known, in some circles, as Jon. Been called other things, but those'll get me banned...so don't use those.
I came here ten years ago, after lurking since essentially day one of this site. I was looking for information on JFK's assassination, but I got
sidetracked almost immediately by the plethora of other topics, and joined, and except for a short period, or two, I've been here pretty much daily
ever since. First day here, I get waylaid by a member named dgtempe, who sends me a less than polite PM suggesting what I do with myself...not in so
many words, 'cause DG was, and is, a lady. But the intent was clear...
. Well, I thought, I'm not going to last long if this is the sort of stuff
I get for opining... So, I U2U her back, and ask what had I said to set her off like that??
Comes back moments later... OH, I'm sorry, it wasn't meant for you.
That started a long, and fruitful exchange, and I consider her, to this day, a friend.
Later I made the acquaintance of Intrepid, who even then, was a grumpy ol' canuck... We crossed wires somehow or other, and I got admonished in
thread...
Semper Fortis. Alien. Asala. DTOM. ...and a veritable host of others made themselves known in some fashion or form over the next few years.
Including my one and only run in with Authority in the form of SimonGray. I'd gone off on a fellow member, quite literally calling him scum of the
earth, and the living reason as to why one should not marry, much less procreate with ones *ahem* relative...
Yeah, not one of my finer moments... My u2u icon started flashing at me. They used to be red, and were actually kinda scary...
It was Simon. Essentially, he told me to tone it down a bit...yeah, the member (who got banned later that day...) is kinda grodey, but you can't be
calling him stuff like that... Being as he's a total gentleman, he merely removed said post, and I moved on.
I tread most gently for some time afterwards... Not that I was scared or anything like that. Perish the thought.
Some months later, I get another u2u, this one was from intrepid, who I'd got to know a little bit. Still a grumpy ol' Canuck, but a friendly ol'
grumpy Canuck.
My first thought was "oh, darn (hey, don't want to get banned at this late stage...) what have I done now?" I'd been on some threads that were,
surprise, surprise, contentious...and I've never been shy about posting my opinion.
I actually thought I was going to get banned. Instead, it's an offer to join staff. I was absolutely gobsmacked. I thought he was having the
mickey on me (did I use that right???), and wasn't going to answer right away. But I decided that this really wasn't something he'd joke
about...so I said sure, why not? A few moments later, I get a note from the late and most lamented William One Sac telling me my forum assignments,
but also telling me "Don't touch anything!!!".
Almost eight years as staff now, and I've never once regretted it. Got to know a bunch of really awesome people. Some I'll never agree with on
certain topics...ever. Some, we think nearly in lockstep on some topics... Then turn right around and agree and disagree in the same order. But
they're all my friends. Always will be.
I've come to know many of you over the years, some gradually, some right off the bat. Benevolent Heretic. FlyersFan. Antar. AccessDenied.
Literally hundreds of others. Some I agree with, some I disagree with. Some are still with us, some have drifted off, and later returned...still my
friends.
Others, thankfully very few, are not my friends... Never will be. Not from my end, though they aren't on my Christmas card list, or anything...
We just can't seem to look past disagreements on what are, in the end, trivial things. Color of the sky, whether rain is wet...y'know, simple
stuff.
Ten years... It's been a hell of a ride. I've shared tears of torment and sorrow. Tears of unfettered joy and thanks. I expect to share more of
the same as the next ten years go by just as swiftly.
I just wanted to say thanks for that ride, and for the tears.
I never, not once, envisioned being here for ten years, or posting over 27000 times, rapidly approaching 28000. I have the attention span of a two
year old, most times, I bore easily.
It's a testament to you folks that I keep coming back. So, thanks.