Pulls self out of the unspeakable flood of real life muck to watch the discussion unfold like a flower of human frailty.
I can't help but laugh watching you all like this. Each side thinks they are being reasonable and the other is being uncivil while some of you are lost in the middle like motherless goats. Ha!
Xonos, I find, is rather lacking in imagination when it comes to the reasons people debate. I do it to sharpen my wits and potentially learn something, audience or no audience. One doesn't always fight to win, my good monsieur. I am quite often rather happy to lose if I can be convinced I am losing fairly to superior reasoning.
Sierepica misspelled "customer".
Beckendorf misspelled "ditto".
Jessie, dear heart, has given us the view of a mother, technically an aunt but she still counts. It is not a view to be discarded lightly, fraught though it is with the desire to protect children from anything harmful or frightening. This is all well and good, but most of you are further along in maturity than her nieces. You should be able to handle yourselves online.
From what I've seen, parents are more likely to get on the forums themselves to ask for help rather than send their eight-year-olds. Furthermore, said parents do not get socially involved. They come, ask their question, and leave. I don't think we have anything to fear from them or their tots.
After taking a break from these lovely forums and reading all that everyone has said I can only say this. What's happening here is the natural result of free will. As long as human beings are individuals in a messed-up world with messed-up minds, we're going to disagree. We're also going to be idiotic about it from time to time. Teenagers especially, riddled with hormones as they are, are going to say things they will regret. Adults even, when their vanity gets ahold of them, are going to be just as stupid as the children.
Sierepica, I disagree that you are the same person you were when you joined. You've truly blossomed as a human being like a pillar covered in rambling roses. I'm rather glad I was there to see it.
We're never going to stop growing and changing, but that doesn't mean 'outgrowing' the things we truly love. Growing up means letting go of what you want rather than forcing people to work around you. It means realizing that the answers to your questions are out there to be had and you are strong enough to find them. It means being able to take care of others and enjoy it rather than expecting them to take care of you. You can keep the things you loved as a child, you just can't keep the self-centric view of the universe.
I don't think there is such a thing as too old for Aetherlight, there is only too selfish or too fearful. It's when you get the notion in your head that your way is best and everyone should follow it that you start to cause trouble. We should always be looking for ways to learn from and about each other, just as I've learned from all of you tonight. Thank you, one and all. The Lord bless you and keep you. Good night.
Curtsies theatrically before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
