A thought on this website, and a thank you

[Habie]

Yesterday, on a late summer Saturday in London, I went to a Feast of Strangers; a conversation gathering in the park to honour Theodore Zeldin's belief that intimate and contentful conversation with strangers is essential for rebuilding our communities.

It occurred to me that this website more than any other I know, is a lot like that.

So this is just to say how much I appreciate the simplicity and warmth of this Forum; a pretty miraculous coming together in friendship around our clear-sighted hero, but also ourselves.

The more time I spend here the more I marvel at the conversations - no pretense, no bullshit, no grandstanding, just a million threads of infinite variety. I love the multiplicity of voices; the passionate, the pragmatic, the lost, the found, the pedantic, the poetic, the bright eyed, the bushy-tailed, the hesitant, the forceful, the wanderers and wonderers whispering sweet nothings and sweeter somethings. As the poet says, the open-hearted many, the broken-hearted few.

A general thank you, then, to Jarkko and his team, to Leonard for the inspiration, and to all of you for the unerring ability to provoke the desire to celebrate.

L'chaim, to Leonard, to life.

Love,
Habie x

[CinCin]

Well put! This community certainly adds to my life.

[donalagata]

*

[MaryB]

Habie,

You are so spot on! Thank you for saying it so well for all of us! I would not want to be anywhere else in the cyberworld.

Warmest regards,
Mary

[ladydi]

What lovely words Habie and so very true. I know I'm the same person I've always been, but I am acutely aware that I am also somehow different since becoming a part of this delightful Forum. At the risk of sounding silly, it's like part of me has soared into regions I'd not before realized were there. The diversity of individuals is wonderful...how boring it would be if we all were alike in our thoughts and talents, and yet we are bonded together by a common appreciation for, and love of, Leonard. In the past year plus, friendships have developed that I know will continue, and I've come to know and share thoughts with people from all over the world. It's truly amazing!

Thank you for the beautiful way you described your feelings!

All the best,
Diana

[lizzytysh]

Yesterday, on a late summer Saturday in London, I went to a Feast of Strangers; a conversation gathering in the park to honour Theodore Zeldin's belief that intimate and contentful conversation with strangers is essential for rebuilding our communities.

Hi Habie ~

So much truth in that. I love the eloquent and beautiful way you expressed all those very true thoughts and realities about this Forum. My regret for awhile now has been that my time has become so confiningly limited for spending here.


~ Lizzy

[Henning]

You nailed it, Habie - as you always do. A great honour to this place and its creator, the master of moderation, the harborer of harmony, Mister JA (Yes in German). And it was his birthday on Saturday which makes it a belated present from your side and the rest of us who totally agree with you.

[Habie]

Hurrah - belated happy birthday, Herr JA! Yes Man, indeed. Happy Birthday to all great men, great women, great words, great ideas, great futures. Maybe it won't be murder after all...

[A.Sukitu]

Habie -
beautiful words and beautiful that you took time to share your reflection with the Forum.
it is a wonderful feeling to be a small part of a greater beautiful thing.
may we blossom forever ...
(+ H.B. to Herr JA!!!)

[Paul Zagreb]

Hi Habie

In nailing it for yourself, you nailed it for us all! Thank-you.

I always come back to Howard Rheingold's definition from about 1993:
"Virtual communities are social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace."

There's more than sufficient human feeling being passed around in this space for us all to bask in its warmth!

Paul

[tinderella]

Beautiful expressions there Habie.

Harbourer of harmony , another beautiful expression ............. Henning, they should have you on the stage at the concerts to introduce Leonard

[Habie]

(Having looked at Lizzy's photo in the BIRTHDAY MOSAIC thread, and her post there commenting on every single photo and person)

Could there actually BE anyone with a bigger heart and a lovelier face than Lizzytish? Methinks not.

I went back and read some of your other postings, Lizzy. Wow. So I'm getting a picture.... you have loved and lost, you are America's biggest Obama fan, you are the most maternal/caring/open-hearted person in cyberspace (in reality too no doubt, but so far I've only met you virtually). You met Leonard & Anjani in a delightfully poetic encounter, you have limitless powers of recall for every member of the community as if you were - indeed are - its beating heart.

Once again, I'm amazed by this forum and its joyous abandon. What's not to love? Lizzy's truly exceptional generosity, the erudition of Hydriot, John Etherington, Paul Zagreb or Maarten the Setlist supremo; the delicious variety of dry wit - like three vintage wines - in the musings of Ta Ken of Merseyside, Henning of the Rhine and Lord Jarkko the Harbourer. One could write a whole thesis just on the subtly different styles of wit and wisdom of those three!

And so many others... the sensuality of Actually, the gentle tenderness of Judy, Mary, Anne, Laura, Willy, Marie and so many many more...

Och, I guess I'm just feeling sentimental at the moment; having to realize the hard way that friendship is so much more durable than romantic love.

But then, if love was easy, we wouldn't have Leonard. And if we didn't hurt, we wouldn't have ecstasy.

And without ecstasy, or at least the capacity for true abandonment to sorrow and joy...

I told you I was going soft. Never mind, I can't pretend not to be in tears.

Thanks again, you all.
Habie x

[f'lipper]

Thanks. I've been cruising another forum that my boyfriend lives on since I moved in with him. It makes me laugh a lot of the time, but lately it's been making me squeamish. Every time I'd go on it to see what's new in the Ween world all I see is insults and cruelty and back biting. I just discovered this site tonight. I've been longing for a home where if you disagree with what is being you aren't considered a narc and hated by your fellow forumers. Thanks for giving me a place to go on this ridiculous internet.

[MaryB]

Habie,
Look what your sensitive wonderful words have done already! Another convert to our forum! Now to say so many beautiful things about Lizzy (you are so right and so much more! She is the Queen of the Forum and Posts!) and all our forum members. You are such an asset here - thank you!

flipper,
The heartiest welcome to the forum! Habie says it so well. All I can say is that is a lovely place to be. Hope you stay around and we hear more from you.

Warmest regards,
Mary

[tinderella]

Good Morning Habie

This song is for you today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifq4bYZn ... re=related

Love Tindy xx