ForumGarden

I vowed I would never post a leaving thread but I realised I have too much to say just to go, without a word. At one time I would have agreed with a comment that I think Koan made¦people who seriously want to leave just do so and don’t bother with goodbye threads. But now I think that perhaps these threads merely mirror what one would usually do in a real life situation, that is, say goodbye. I want to continue using the arcade for a little longer until I find another games site, and so I am not, as yet deleting my account but I will no longer be posting.

Forum Garden has changed and although I accept that change is an inevitable part of life, I don’t want what the Garden has become and so I’m choosing to go.

As I posted in another thread, I love witty one liners and clever word play, whatever the theme. What I don’t want is a constant diet of sexual chat. I realised a while ago that my best course of action was to avoid those threads that I found not to my liking. But, more recently I find that this chat invades other threads and I often have to trawl my way through it to get to the main topic. Not only that, I find I’m choosing my words more carefully for fear that something I say will be misinterpreted and, worse, used in one of these exchanges. Does this make me a prude? Well, if prude means preferring to keep my sexual talk private and disliking seeing other people’s all over the board, yes I must be. And I can live with that. But I’m noticing a growing number of sneaky smilies and the occasional pointed remark emerging alongside this stuff, as if to mock the couple of people who have expressed their opinion against it. I may well be in a minority but it doesn’t make my opinion worthless.

But, you know, maybe even my discomfort with this is merely a sign from the gods that it’s time to move on.

It seems harder to find threads that are of interest to me. It’s strange really, when I first came to FG nearly 2 years ago, I started quietly in the word games. Now, for the most part, I’m back there. It seems as if I’ve completed a cycle of Forum Garden life and that now, both it and I are going in our different directions.

I find it more difficult to feel moved by posts. To me, FG has always been a place where support and compassion is in abundance. I’ve been on the receiving end of it, so I know. I hope I’ve also offered it myself. But I feel I can no longer do this on a constant basis. I feel as if I’m being insincere and compromising my integrity if I keep saying, oh poor you, here’s a hug, love you, on an almost daily basis. So I rarely participate and it doesn’t make me feel good about myself. This, in turn, makes me intolerant of and irritated by the people whose posts I don't respond to, which makes me feel even less good about myself.

I don’t see so many familiar faces around so often. I sometimes feel like I’ve strayed into another Garden, one where I don’t know many of the names of the plants or which path to take. So, instead of prolonging the agony and continuing to grumble into my beard or in a pm to someone, I’m going to accept that my time has come to wish FG farewell.

It makes me feel really, really sad as I write this and it would be so easy not to post it¦and I’m going to miss certain people so much. But it feels a little like a marriage or a partnership that has run its course ¦one can hang on and hang on but it just delays the inevitable.



So it’s goodbye,



With my love, Jackie

I dont know you very well, but i am sad to see you go.

I always enjoyed your posts.

Jackie aka Theia was, is, and always will be a damned fine woman. A credit to herself and the Garden. This is even sadder than Martin and Sonia leaving Eastenders last night. Love and best wishes for the future my dear Cardibird :yh_hugs :yh_flower :yh_flower :yh_flower

Unc xxx

Jackie, I'm sorry to see you go. I remember our last PMs so this isn't really a surprise but still a sad event. Thank you for our talks. I agree with Diuretic up there...yours is a classy and sincere goodbye. I hope that maybe you will come back some time when you might feel like it. Maybe things will have changed. I wish you well.

:-1

You are the bravest of all, my dearest Theia. Yes, FG has changed alot. And I definitely agree about the topic of sex, heavy flirting, etc. showing up on every thread. It is annoying, and is why I frankly don't come by as much. You are not alone on these thoughts.

Forums change, and yes FG has also. But FG without you will be the most beautiful flower of all gone. But I respect you opinion and your bravery in saying what many of us think. I am just sad at your departure, and at a loss to tell you how much your friendship means to me. :-4

Love,

Susie

Life is a series of comings and goings. We meet we mingle then we depart. Only a chosen few get the pleasure of true friendship. What we leave behind is a glimpse of our character. What you leave behind is a sense of yearning. Tender and urgent desire to know you as your life continues to unfold. You also leave behind sadness coupled with the sincerest longing for your life to be joyous and filled with the occasional miracle.

Ill pause from time to time to think about you.

I hope you know I love and admire you.

Brian

Theia

I am so sorry that you are going, I do feel bad as I know I am among one of these people that you talk about, and I am very sorry, not only to yourself but others that i may have upset. I will make sure in future that I will put more thought into what i'm posting.

I hope that you may re-consider and come back, I for one will be clearing up my posts.

Sue

Theia i can honesty say you are one of the most genuine people here. Your calming nature has always bought something special to forum garden and you will be sadly missed . It's been a delight to read your posts . Take care sweety :-6

You are part of one of the greatest memories of my life. An adventure I will cherish forever. That we crossed paths here on FG, will always have me think of the garden fondly, also. It is like graduating high school. The seniors move on, and each class of freshman is different than the one before it. You have touched the hearts and broadened the minds, of many of the members. I know that it is with a renewed strength, and joy derived from your new agenda that has you prepared for the good things life has in store for you. Your eloquent and tinkling british voice is forever etched in my mind. The laughs we shared made me a rich woman. All the best. Always, Laura

theia;539175 wrote: I vowed I would never post a leaving thread but I realised I have too much to say just to go, without a word. At one time I would have agreed with a comment that I think Koan made¦people who seriously want to leave just do so and don’t bother with goodbye threads. But now I think that perhaps these threads merely mirror what one would usually do in a real life situation, that is, say goodbye. I want to continue using the arcade for a little longer until I find another games site, and so I am not, as yet deleting my account but I will no longer be posting.



Forum Garden has changed and although I accept that change is an inevitable part of life, I don’t want what the Garden has become and so I’m choosing to go.



As I posted in another thread, I love witty one liners and clever word play, whatever the theme. What I don’t want is a constant diet of sexual chat. I realised a while ago that my best course of action was to avoid those threads that I found not to my liking. But, more recently I find that this chat invades other threads and I often have to trawl my way through it to get to the main topic. Not only that, I find I’m choosing my words more carefully for fear that something I say will be misinterpreted and, worse, used in one of these exchanges. Does this make me a prude? Well, if prude means preferring to keep my sexual talk private and disliking seeing other people’s all over the board, yes I must be. And I can live with that. But I’m noticing a growing number of sneaky smilies and the occasional pointed remark emerging alongside this stuff, as if to mock the couple of people who have expressed their opinion against it. I may well be in a minority but it doesn’t make my opinion worthless.



But, you know, maybe even my discomfort with this is merely a sign from the gods that it’s time to move on.



It seems harder to find threads that are of interest to me. It’s strange really, when I first came to FG nearly 2 years ago, I started quietly in the word games. Now, for the most part, I’m back there. It seems as if I’ve completed a cycle of Forum Garden life and that now, both it and I are going in our different directions.



I find it more difficult to feel moved by posts. To me, FG has always been a place where support and compassion is in abundance. I’ve been on the receiving end of it, so I know. I hope I’ve also offered it myself. But I feel I can no longer do this on a constant basis. I feel as if I’m being insincere and compromising my integrity if I keep saying, oh poor you, here’s a hug, love you, on an almost daily basis. So I rarely participate and it doesn’t make me feel good about myself. This, in turn, makes me intolerant of and irritated by the people whose posts I don't respond to, which makes me feel even less good about myself.



I don’t see so many familiar faces around so often. I sometimes feel like I’ve strayed into another Garden, one where I don’t know many of the names of the plants or which path to take. So, instead of prolonging the agony and continuing to grumble into my beard or in a pm to someone, I’m going to accept that my time has come to wish FG farewell.



It makes me feel really, really sad as I write this and it would be so easy not to post it¦and I’m going to miss certain people so much. But it feels a little like a marriage or a partnership that has run its course ¦one can hang on and hang on but it just delays the inevitable.





So it’s goodbye,





With my love, Jackie
We've been friends for a long time, dear, so I know we'll keep touch. I just want to state publicly that we are losing one of the most beautiful flowers this Garden has ever seen. The view will definitely be less glorious. :-1

Theia, I know we don't know each other and I considered whether or not to bring this up.

But if I do and you and the others agree, then maybe you will stay.

I used to belong to a forum (I know, I know, everyone says that) that only allowed dirty talk in one section of the forum. Dirty talk, dirty jokes, inuendos, snarky responses, etc. We had one person who was sort of the leader guru who would not tolerate it anywhere else.

I think I understand where you're coming from, although I am one to slip in the side remark here and there. But if you have sevral people who do this everywhere in every post, you feel a little left out. I get that.

Ever since I have come here, everyone says this place has changed. I'm beginning to get a complex.

I like it, whether it has changed or not. I don't always find anything that interests me and then some days there's not enough time to respond to all those that do. If you don't find anything, then hunt something on the net and put it in here. (Of course, I think I did that once and everyone ignored me. Whew, got a big complex on that one!)

I don't respond a lot because I can't remember if people are male of female, liked or disliked, honest or lying, negative or positive. I gave up trying to figure it all out and decided to rely on no one but myself. I didn't care if A like B and C hated F. I was going to make up my own mind.

I think in your original post you said So, instead of prolonging the agony and continuing to grumble into my beard . . . can you imagine my dilemma? I thought you were female and then you signed your name as Jackie, big help that was! And then I thought, OK, ignore it, maybe everyone knows something I don't and it is really none of my business. I did notice the non American flag, so I figured (prayed) it was a figure of speech.

You people have no idea what joy you bring to me. My imagination just flys off on it's on and makes up all kinds of storys about you guys. Now Theia has a beard! (You really don't , do you? I apologize now if you do and I've made some monumental faus pax).

Anyway, I digress. Think about maybe starting an adult only area here. That sounds kinda stupid since we are all adults, well, most of us, but that may help you out.

If not, it's been nice knowing you and I hope you come back soon.

Kisses

Theia, our paths haven't crossed much here over the years. That's probably my fault. You are without a doubt one of the reasons the garden hasn't gone to weeds totally. You will be missed.

I am deeply sadened to see you go So much so I am beyond words. I wish there was a way to change your mind. I shall miss you I hope you find a place that does make you smile all the time.

Deeply sorry to see you leave us Jackie... I don't know what to say :-1

C'mon Jackie, don't do anything so rash!!!! Sleep on it some more!!! Take some time off & just play the games as you said. DO NOT delete your account, so you still can keep checking in here every now & then. In time, you may find that maybe more of the "old garden" returned!!!

Your friend, (even though you keep taking TLW from me) Jon

Theia, I am not happy at all that you feel you should leave, this is the kinda thing I was afraid of, and I for one have on occasion been messing and flirting away on here, and if thats upset you then I apologize, and to be honest, I am getting a little bored of it myself, so perhaps it should be kept to a time and place, I would hope that you would reconsider what you are doing, because I don't think that everything here is either fighting or talking dirty at all, there are lots of interesting things being discussed always, and new people come all the time and bring new interests, and yes the older members at some stage decide to spend less time here, and move on, which is fine, but it would be nice to know that people would also feel able to come back here and catch up with those they have befriended, anyway, good luck, wherever you go, stay well, and au revoir, not goodbye.

At least its not my fault this time right Theia ?



























Theia ?









:p

This is a really sad reflection on the way FG is nowadays.



I've posted in many 'leaving' threads begging people to stay, asking them to be part of an FG 'restoration', but 'flogging a dead horse' comes to mind......it's very hard to be positive all the time.



I'll miss Theia dreadfully, the same as I miss Chonsi, Minx, Arny etc.

Jackie,

My sweet, warm, caring friend,

I can't beg you to stay, that's unfair, can't you just take a sabbatical?

Either way i shall miss your presence awfully:-4

Missing you already :-1

Kate X

I do understand why, I don't like it that you are going though.

I sincerely hope that we remain friends, you are after all my 'wise one' and I value your friendship highly. :yh_hugs :yh_flower :yh_flower :-4

Betty Boop;539502 wrote: I do understand why, I don't like it that you are going though.

I sincerely hope that we remain friends, you are after all my 'wise one' and I value your friendship highly. :yh_hugs :yh_flower






Maybe if you bribe her with your cardi she may stay. :sneaky: :wah:

abbey;539523 wrote: Maybe if you bribe her with your cardi she may stay. :sneaky: :wah:




If I thought it would work I would offer up all my cardis!

Betty Boop;539557 wrote: If I thought it would work I would offer up all my cardis!Bless you hon, i know you would. :-4

I've only known you for a short time, and really saddened by you leaving, hope you re-consider but fully understand your decision.

Take care and God Bless

Wendy

theia wrote: a comment that I think Koan made¦people who seriously want to leave just do so and don’t bother with goodbye threads.


yes, it was me that said that and, for very different reasons than usual, I'm standing by my words. You might prove me wrong for a year but forever is a very long time.

Things move in cycles theia.

How many times have the boards changed? People come, people go, people come back...

One day you're a hero, the next the villain, then you're the hero again...

One moment you wish you never had to log off, then you wish you'd never seen the place, then you find it helps you get through yet another part of your life.

I'm usually right

I hope this is one of those times.

koan;539590 wrote: yes, it was me that said that and, for very different reasons than usual, I'm standing by my words. You might prove me wrong for a year but forever is a very long time.



Things move in cycles theia.

How many times have the boards changed? People come, people go, people come back...

One day you're a hero, the next the villain, then you're the hero again...

One moment you wish you never had to log off, then you wish you'd never seen the place, then you find it helps you get through yet another part of your life.



I'm usually right

I hope this is one of those times.
Listen to koan Theia, she knows what she's talking about (for once :wah: ) ...............................joking :-4

abbey;539598 wrote: Listen to koan Theia, she knows what she's talking about (for once :wah: ) ...............................joking :-4


:wah: law of averages nothing more:wah:

A line about broken clocks comes to mind.......

When someone valuable trys to leave... the people left behind realize that they need to love each other " Better". It could be great again. You were part of making it unique.

I'm a newbie here myself and have enjoyed your comments. I don't do much except the games, but I haven't seen the sexual threads you (and others) are talking about. I only recall one. I guess blindness is bliss huh?

I too have been a member of other forums that have changed and I've left them. Haven't looked back. But as we're all saying, we like you a lot. Please reconsider. After all, who will I steal tlw from??

Rain;539864 wrote: I'm a newbie here myself and have enjoyed your comments. I don't do much except the games, but I haven't seen the sexual threads you (and others) are talking about. I only recall one. I guess blindness is bliss huh?



I too have been a member of other forums that have changed and I've left them. Haven't looked back. But as we're all saying, we like you a lot. Please reconsider. After all, who will I steal tlw from??


See theia, you need to give Rain some competition, as she always is steeling tlw word from us all! DON'T LEAVE theia!

theia...i am sorry to see you go as well....the forum garden is a fantastic place, full of wise and funny people....i do so hope you change your mind and grace us all with your charm, grace and common sense......if not, then i wish you well.



gup/rhonda

Does anyone have her email addy? Give her a nudge and tell her to at least come back here and read what we're saying so she can see how much we all want her to stay.

Theia I will miss you greatly you have been at the Garden about as long as I have and I remember meeting you when I first came. Your are one of the gardens best and it won't be the same with you gone. :-1

I understand everything your saying as I have felt the same lately when I come to the garden. Seems everyone is new and all the post have a sexual undertone to them.. Just not for me. Like you I'm no prude just not what I want to read each and everyday. So I don't post.

Like Floppy I spend a bit of my time in the Arcade trying to become good at Mahjon which is driving me crazy..:-5

I miss some of the regulars they are just not around anymore.. makes me sad.. Change is constant but it is hard at times. Good luck to your and I hope you come back now and then.

flopstock;540491 wrote: Let's start a 'theia' group...




theia, theia, theia, theia!!!!





(hey, it's work on the Jerry Springer show)

flopstock;540491 wrote: Let's start a 'theia' group...
I think that's a great idea, but apparently the group area has been deleted.

I will miss you. I really hope you do not go. tazz:-1

*Bump*

Get your ass back here right now



I missed this thread as ive been away for nearly a month, im so out of the loop. Of course i understand how irritating all the sexual innuendo & flirting is for you, its ok when its done in small dozes & for fun but some people do take it too far, get a life, shame on you that cant communicate with other adults without sexual innuendo, is that all that you are, all you have to say / contribute to the board?

Theia thats not all of us. The majority of us come here for friendship / companionship & general chit chat with a bit of debating, you my dear friend have been a part of that for as many years as i have. Please take this as a time out not leaving, many members have left & to be honest im glad to see the back of them, they were more trouble than they were worth & thats noticable in the responses to thier leaving thread, a few posts :rolleyes: not the case with you. What you have given to the garden has been well expressed in this thread already by all the members who love you so dearly, im just adding my bit to it. I would just miss you far too much, please come back refreshed after what i hope is a break to be amongst your friends again :-4

Pinks - i realise this post follows yours & i am in no way saying its anything to do with you its in relation to the whole thread & goings on of late so dont go getting paranoid on me ok