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    #1

    This past few days

    I wanted to provide something for those of you who are having a difficult time right now--especially those who are unable to explain recent events to the people around you. I've heard from you and I understand.

    Know that your feelings are real because the bonds developed here are real. They are rich and deep and meaningful. That's what makes our community special. That's also what makes it hurt so much when something bad happens.

    Last month this blog article was posted and the author, Merlyna Lim, a professor originally from Indonesia, does an excellent job of describing this "intersection of virtual and real worlds." Maybe it will help make some sense of it.

    Take care of yourselves.

    RJ
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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    #2
    This past few days

    This has been a really difficult time for all of us, wherever we are and we've each felt this pain about Kanga and Tawny in our own orbit of life. As I've read the posts here, particularly the intimate view that Tawny let us see, I've felt the wings of love and what it's like to fly outside of yourself because you care for someone else SO much. I haven't felt that in my life for a LONG time but through her words, I was taken there, and WOW!! I grieve for Tawny. I grieve for Kanga and for every single man who has lost and who will lose his life in this conflict. This is world-wide pain. I said to my husband tonight (and I don't think he liked it) that it's time for a new age of feminism and estrogen ruling the world. Testosterone has brought such misery,
    devastation and carnage for centuries. I'm not really a feminist, but this is something I think about. But wasn't Kanga special? He could really relate to all us ladies and make us laugh in ways we never had before.
    I had a difficult time getting through today. Knowing that my son is deep inside this conflict in this spiraling out of control war and that he is facing death every day, just seems so surreal.
    What a crisis for all of us - Kanga, another statistic of misguided actions by our administration. It's very sad, and shameful. My heart breaks for him. Em

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      #3
      This past few days

      Thank you RJ -- I do feel pretty broken
      Dearest EM -- I will PM you -- you hang in there -- I understand & love you
      ~C

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        #4
        This past few days

        Thanks RJ...for all you do.
        AF as of August 5th, 2012

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          #5
          This past few days

          Our place...

          I have found that in this crazy cyber world that seems so "unreal", our real selves are expressed in a way that is often raw and painfully true.
          We allow ourselves to get close to people in a way we would never do "out there".
          Kanga's death is so hard to grieve with my "real life" around me. This is a grief that only we on MWO can truly share - as we shared him.
          The lurkers, the posters, the problems and the preachers - we are all here and we all count.
          I know I often come across as a tad flippant - a long entrenched defense mechanism. But I have been touched to the core by the people on these boards time and time again.
          Right to the core.

          Helen

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            #6
            This past few days

            Thank you RJ.
            I haven't said anything to anyone except my hubby and he just looked at me like I was nuts!
            It's good to have this place to come where someone understands.
            I'm going to read the article now.

            :l Nancy
            "Be still and know that I am God"

            Psalm 46:10

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              #7
              This past few days

              The lurkers, the posters, the problems, and the preachers...I love that. And you all are right. I have walked around these past few days with this world of avatars in my head, knowing that there is no possible way that I could explain the signficance our our cyber world to the world of flesh and blood. Kanga's first post was in May. Mine was in June. I'll wager that it's been less than a year for most of us in this world where being around since June makes you feel like an old timer. It's been a helluva year. I'd like to believe we gave Kanga hope in the last year of his life, just as we have been given hope. (I guess that makes me one of the preachers).

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                #8
                This past few days

                Nancy - I know what you are saying. My hubby can't understand why I am grieving for a man (and a couple) that I don't even know. This is as real as it gets. I am probably more honest with you guys than I am with any of the real flesh and blood people in my life. I also get more support and understanding. No one else knows I am here, and I husband has very limited understanding of what "here" is.

                Barb

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                  #9
                  This past few days

                  It was a great article, and made me not feel so "nuts" for being so sad about Kanga's passing. (Nancy, my husband was not the least bit understanding either).
                  Interesting coincidence....don't know if anyone noticed that one of the responses mentions Steve Irwin's death. Remember when Kanga posted that thread about losing a fine mate? Kanga was pretty broken up over the loss of Irwin, and I too, mourned the loss of that fine man. Oh, did I sob at his memorial service...

                  NO MORE taking of our most beautiful, much too young, vibrant, giving, caring, intelligent, hilarious, and loving Aussies!!!!!
                  Named Steve.
                  No more.

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                    #10
                    This past few days

                    Terrific article; Thanks RJ. At the risk of sounding a bit intellectual, I would like to mention that my (former) brother-in-law and his wife, two people quite dear to me, first met by being "pen-pals", a "pre-post-modern" form of "virtual relationship". Their marriage is very real and enduring.

                    The internet has enlarged our world, and the relationships we form here are real and meaningful.

                    Love to all,
                    Kathy
                    AF as of August 5th, 2012

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                      #11
                      This past few days

                      This is the first time I have ever been a contributing member of any forum. I had no idea what to expect, but over time I came to learn that, just like in the real world, there were people here that I should steer clear of because of personality conflicts and people that were genuine and good deep down that I could bond with.

                      I was just developing what I considered to be a genuine and very real friendship with "TheKanga" and poof he was gone.

                      My very first reaction, and please forgive me Tawny, was, that it wasn't real. That someone very mean was using Tawnyfrog's avatar and playing a very mean trick on us.

                      I know it's true now and I am still very heartbroken for the loss of friendship and for the loss of what could have been for Steve and Tawny.

                      Hugs to you all and especially to you Tawnyfrog:l
                      :h :h :h :h

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