I've been meaning to write this for a long time. I just never really got around to writing. I think that every time I sat down to write I found the subject matter a little too painful. I'm a sucker for nostalgia, but I find that even I have trouble facing it completely or putting it into the perfect words. I think I know now that I might never find the perfect words and that the only way to find out is to give it a try.
I don't really remember how I found Quoteland. I just remember it happened almost nine years ago. When I thought it was cool to have a moniker like "duDette" which, at this point, I wouldn't change because so much has come along with that name. For the longest time I posted here. I've grown here. I've written hundreds of poems I thought were beautiful, most of which I can't believe I ever even wrote. It makes me cringe a little. What was I thinking? My grammar was more atrocious than it is currently, and I'm pretty sure I had nothing constructive to say whatsoever. I'm not even sure I was capable of forming solid opinions. However, a lot of people stuck with me through that. Somehow, there was something a lot of Quoteland members found worthwhile in me, and I can't begin to tell you how it changed my life. I found a family. I made best friends. I fell in love; I had my heart broken. I lost one of the greatest people I have ever known. I had the chance to meet a majority of these people later on in life. I still keep in touch with a lot of them. Some in person, some thanks to the beloved Facebook. Others have disappeared from my life, but they didn't go without leaving their mark. I quit actively posting on Quoteland not too much longer after Stella Splendens passed away. I think with her absence a lot of what held me here dissolved without my even realizing it.
I'd like to say a few thank yous, to the ones we gossiped about, to the outsiders, to the ones I shared many private topics with, to the ones who left without a goodbye, to the ones who are still around even after all this time, to the ones who wrote better poetry and to the ones who never failed to make me laugh or smile. If I don't mention you here, it's not because you aren't a valuable member of Quoteland. Remember, I've been a lurker here for awhile now. I'm almost the new kid, all over again. This, right here, is what I missed the most. Home. This feels like coming home, and I missed it here so terribly bad. This feels like playing with time, walking back into a life that I know isn't really mine anymore, wishing so much to replay it all over again. With nothing changed except my absence.
At the end of this list, I'd like for each of you to post your favorite memories of Quoteland for me. It can be ones you had with me, someone I know, someone I have never met, or a general acknowledgment of how Quoteland has meant something in your life.
Thank you to the following, in no particular order (or maybe one that I'm not completely conscious of,) you've all made some sort of impact on me. For better or worse
Stella Splendens ~Hope~ Grinchman042 Harv HellsAngel $anya Gemini7tat Limn Sentrawoods LetsWriteNShare (haha, had to do that.) Fuzzies ConcernedBrotha Airedale Fair_Gwenofair David Adam Lewis Alice thenostromo Sentrawoods Twister KnockOut D_w TheTableist Bahamarags selenamoon daniellelynn34 rhon831 Mercury Smile Apokryphos lordoftoads darklinglady kerridwen YellowFreakMeg Retardomontalbon PSUfootball21 Ananya ImbuedGlory Trader Surgeon50 Kenyjackson Song_Bird luvleetasha Tekendis kale na kale Genevieve Darwin Aeras Slakist Ladon
I'm pretty sure there are some I missed. If so, I'll add you as I think of you. Now, your turn!
-Kari. _____________________________ Stella Splendens December 22, 1985-March 27, 2003 Blast
Perfect timing-I'm sitting in an oyster bar having lunch with a glass of Irish Kilkenny thinking of that retro dress you love to wear. A toast to the sex we never had and your lost virginity (I have no idea how many times you can re-lost it in a poem). You were pretty cool although I can't remember why. May be it was a gondola ride thing we were planning to do in Venice. I think you are also pretty weird (love weired people).I love reading pretty much the same poem of yours about finding love and undecidedly (but fortunately) got laid (eventually) somehow. But mostof all, the sex would have been mind blowing.
"Nunc Scio Quit Sit Amor" But it's still not premarital sex if you don't plan on getting married
quote:Originally posted by duDette: I'm almost the new kid, all over again. This, right here, is what I missed the most. Home. This feels like coming home, and I missed it here so terribly bad.
Welcome home, Kari aka duDette. I enjoyed very much reading your benevolent, kind memoir of QL.
quote:At the end of this list, I'd like for each of you to post your favorite memories of Quoteland for me. It can be ones you had with me, someone I know, someone I have never met, or a general acknowledgment of how Quoteland has meant something in your life.
In no particular order (of which I'm aware)..... I harbor fond memories of Debate Forum #1's debut when a scrappy bunch ('Mondo, Euphorion, Tableist, rhon831 et al, myself included) went "at it" full bore and probably taxed Petrarch's patience to the max.... Loved \Doug's/ "Draco the Dragon" exploits, which Airedale exploited (heh, heh)..... Looked forward to Trader's well written, ritual Saturday morning essays which I ritually anticipated.... Enjoyed poets who out-villanelled each other..... One of my favorite memories was when the "doom and gloom" young poetry writers (usu. high schoolers), who vied to write the saddest poetry, threw down a challenge to the older "sewing circle"; I composed an atypically dark essay ["Baaa"], and earned the respect of Hellsangel and others who didn't suppose Airedale could write doom and gloom.... Appreciated how individual QLers crafted their own QL identities: e.g., LWAS = birthday fairy; Harv = Miss Dictionary Lookup; Fair or Gem (or both, I forget) brick throwers, etc.... Appreciated how Knockout shared his engagement/wedding with us, and how many QLers pulled together, thanks to LWAS's direction, to write a wedding poem for him and Amm.... Followed Katelyn and Ladon's lives as they shared on QL for a time....
Old, old memories (by cyber standards) for sure!
That said, I find QL's existential "today" continues to meet my love for composition & ideas, while the site's dynamism (in terms of currently active members & lurkers) provides me the fun of engaging unseen human souls via the written word.
------------------------------ The opposite of joy is not sorrow. It is unbelief. ~ Leslie Weatherhead Picture me with my ground teeth stalking joy--fully armed too, as it's a highly dangerous quest. ~ Flannery O'Connor
[This message was edited by Airedale on 01-09-09 at 08:26 PM.]
Well I haven't had a three year hiatus like some, I even stopped back (once) in 2008 according to my posting records.
It seems strange how I recognise all those names you mentioned and what's more the fragments of a not too long ago past. Forgive me if I sound too much like Peter Pan when I exclaim 'has it really been eight years?' since this all began.
I think I've officially left Quoteland noisely at least once. I must admit that since university (with the exception of the long summer holidays) I haven't often clicked the link that's still listed in my favourites to bring me here.
If I have one principal failing in my character it is that I do not keep in touch with people as well as I might. I think this is because I have learnt never to dwell in the past, but I have still lost contact with some amazing people here at Quoteland.
I was one of Airedale's high schoolers when I first came here, I did change, not least my usernames (illegally) and grew to love this place and writing poems, debates and critiques.
I must respectfully decline to make a long list of all the fantastic memories I have from Quoteland. I guess it's because if I were to ever talk to any of the people who I have lost contact with again, or I should ever meet any of those who I still have contact with, the one thing I should like to know is- do you (still) love your life?
I wish you all well. And I ~hope~ you'll always answer 'yes.'
Stella Splendens December 22, 1985 - March 27, 2003 RIP ...Always.
Posts: 1773 | Location: Devon, England | Registered: 02-04-02
One of the things I miss most about quoteland is my workshop days with sunemaster.
Sune and I had an almost informal competition to be the first to reply to new posts in the workshop and I would say we both put forth the best effort we could at the time, providing quality replies while trying to beat one another. We had fun and I really enjoyed the fun sparring.
I also miss all of the originals (or who I consider the originals since joining) who helped me to grow as a writer and taught me the benefits such communities can have (some have come back, some are most likely will remain gone for much longer or possibly indefinitely). I actually sought quoteland (maybe indirectly at the time, but now in retrospect I know better) due to a very bad dissolution of a close friendship. It was thanks to the members at my time of joining that I not only really began my writing in full force, but that I was able to vent in an indirect way about the problems I had.
To the members duDette listed and more that I have regrettably let slip from my memory, thank you for all you did in shaping my thoughts and helping me to grow as a person, and providing some wonderful memories and inspiration along the way.
Its almost weird to think I am coming up on 6 years of membership and I know the past memories must feel especially endearing to those who are approaching several years more than I.
In some profoundly odd sense, I also miss Stella. Although I never knew or interacted with her, I have read some of her replies and poetry and the sentiments of other members and I cannot but wish I had been able to know what a wonderful person she seems to have been.
-Aeras
[This message was edited by Aeras on 01-14-09 at 07:35 PM.]
