Jessi-Joe,
We have never crossed wires with one another, at least I do not think
As you say, we are all somebody (individuals) and are all different, except for typicaly our love of GL's music. Reverence may be a bit over the top, but to each his own. I know what you mean.
GL has in some ways seemed like an actual acquaintance of mine at times, through his music in my life, primarily I think from when he helped (via his music) me through the rigours of teenagehood, first loves, lost loves, philosophical ponderings on life, the wilderness, etc.
At these times, I could relate so well to his music, it seemed he *had* to have gone through what I did too, or so it seemed. So a person we do not really know seems like someone we do know, in a way. certainly, we know some facets of his thoughts, as expressed in his lyrics and music.
One note I would add to your well-intentioned caution above about never knowing who you are really dealing with on the internet is generally true. As a relatively new member, I made a few mistakes, upset a few people, and think I even drove one or 2 away.
Can't make everyone happy, as you say. And, for reasons I'll not bore you with, I had trouble writing at first, which drove many up the wall(s), and probably still do
lolol .
Point being, these people in this forum, by and large, have known each other for along time, and have also many times gotten together at conferences, group gatherings, re-unions, etc. I was lucky enough to be asked to one recently, but alas could not go.
Given that, and your caution, this room is rather less likely to encounter troubled people in than some rooms in my opinion, and sometimes the real hazard can be saying things that someone might take the wrong way in a very bad sense.
The type you mention. When we speak to much or too vehemently of crazy people being out there on the internet, we inadvertantly wind up with three fingers pointing back at ourself, and one at the room, or individual to which we may refer.
You know, the deal where you look at your hand when you point a finger at someone, and curl 3 fingers back into your hand ? Well, those three fingers can, despite your best and most honourable intentions, point back at ourselves and cause others to worry a bit about the person making such noises about such people.
This is a far more cerebral and peaceful room than I have encountered before, and being GL fans, by nature at least 99% IMHO are completely benign. The occassional 0.01 % I only WONDER about are gone now, or are on extended "sulk" and gone for a while.
Jessie you seem like a good guy, and I hope you enjoyed my bit of silliness about the aliens and walmart after your tree cut at odd angles post and pic. I don't know, you never responded.
But thats OK, we don't post to expect our self-esteem to be built-up in return, but rather austensibly for the general benefit and enjoyment (hopefully) of the forum's members.
The trouble seems to come when we perhaps push a little too quickly individual exchanges with divergant modes of thought and people from our own.
Certainly we are here to compare and contrast our differing views of our common admired performer (GL), but past that, if we stray from differences in that into differences of other kinds, we usually wind up simply causing trouble for oursselves in the room, unintentionally.
I believe I would be careful myself in pointing out what we as adults generally accept as truisms here; that is to say we probably are well advised to not remind one another of that which we all know to be true: there are some bad people out there on the internet.
To caution of that in a given room, lest someone is being too naive for their own good (where a PM will suffice) will generally reflect poorly on yourself when you probably meant no harm at all. I am sure you don't.
Relationships of trust and friendship in this forum greatly preceed both your and my presence and membership in the room. Good people are well established in here and so OK we irritate each other once in awhile.
No one's calling out one another to thow down and put up at sunrise in here though, I have seen that much. I have learned to not take personally what I did a few times at first in here only a few months ago.
jessie-joe please take my advice with a grain of salt, but generally speaking virtually every one of the "regulars" in the room I have found to be the type of kind and gentle souls one would expect in a Gordon Lightfoot room. I never once met a GL fan in real life that I did not like.
And, so that no one interprets you as anything else than the same, just be aware of the backfire that can occur when we point our fingers and speak of what dangers lurk "out there". I sure do enjoy your postings, Jessi-Joe, and I hope you do mine. Gord rules !
- Steve Dunbar aka geo-man geodeticman