How the Dave Cullen Forum Has Affected Me

[dahlia]

Thanks ALL, for your words of understanding and support, means a LOT to me right now, at this point in my life..............

You wrote a beautiful post, John. Many thanks for being here.

[Flyboy]

Thanks Dahlia! So many have been supportive AND attentive to me during my job loss and search, they have no idea how MUCH they mean to me right now. I'm still in the job search mode, as are millions of others, so it helps to know there are people who care enough to listen to my troubles, offer encouragement and warm thoughts..... .....I only hope I can return the favor to all of them someday! 

[mcnell1120]

  JONN

[ingmarnicebbmt]

Just like this.

Always.










50'000 times

tenderness melancholy joy

food for thought

J & E

friendship and love












MERCI.

[Miaisland]

Another thank you from my heart for being here
for all of those 50 000 posts
and all that you mean to this forum.

Love Love Love!!

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Ingmar))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) !!

 

[ingmarnicebbmt]

Mia!! Special friend! 

[Flyboy]

Mia!! Special friend! 

That is a beautiful pic of you and Mr. S.................just beautiful.............wishing all the best that life has to offer, for both of you............thanks for sharing!

[atruant]

Great to see you and Sylvain, Ingy!!

Congratulations on 50 grand, and all the best from Chuck and me.

[ingmarnicebbmt]

(((Jonn)))

(((John & Chuck)))

Thank you for your great feedback!

Yeah the pic is really nice and quite recent, was taken around Aug 25 or so...

[MaineGirl]

Thank you and congratulations again on 50,000

sweet friend ((((((((((((((((((Ingmar)))))))))))))))))))) !!!

For all you contribute to us here, and for all you do to make this the truly special place that it is.

From the bottom of my heart,

Much much love!!!

 

What a beautiful portrait of you both! 

(((((((((Ing & S)))))))))))

[ingmarnicebbmt]

((((((((((((Sue))))))))))))))))

Merci for all your sweet words!

 

[chapeaugris]

Ing, say merci to Mr S for "supporting" your obsession.   


(Il est très mignon entouré de feuilles.)

[jack]

having bumped into this, i thought i would save the effort of typing pretty much the same thing. 

except it is now FOUR years here, 26 years sober, and in a matter of days, 66 years on the planet.

i still value this experience beyond measure, even as my life enters new horizons and new challenges.  i am better prepared for both having been here.

jack

okay, i haven't entirely gone silent or gone away, but i have opted to not keep interjecting myself into threads in which i have long since had my say.  usually, if someone says something that strikes a chord in me, i just send a PM and support others that way.

i have been posting in this forum since december 26 '05, and before that in dave's salon blog BBM comments thread (and what a story that is).  in fact, october  30th will mark my 2 year anniversary of entering this conversation.  through all of the ups and downs, disappointments and disagreements, threats and hugs, i am still here, more subdued perhaps. but here.

my 24 year experience of a recovery from alcoholism, and by extention, madness;  gave me a pretty good idea of what people might be feeling and needing when they got to this forum.  to be sure much of the allure was the horse race of awards season, and/or the hunkitude of the lead actors, but something much more was afoot.  somehow, this story, and far more so this film, triggered a mass reaction in those of us with broken souls, including many of us who didn't even realize we were broken.  for myself, for all of the great distance i had travelled emotionally in sobriety, a sad resignation had become my refuge.  i had made a commitment to take my "revenge" on society at large, by living my remaining years as comfortably, in spite of my financial and social status, as i could possibly manage, and accept the solitude amongst nonexistent peers with as much grace and gratitude as i could muster.

in this forum, i found the gay family i had never, in all those years, through all that sturm and drang, seemed to acquire.  of straight friends or womenfolk i had no shortage of intimates, but i felt a great deal like that mastodon in that "ïce age" movie, the last of my kind.  while i only had a couple of brief exploratory flirtations here that fizzled quite quickly, i have made friends, both gay and straight, male and female, enough to last a lifetime.  best of all, many of them are, like me, gay men "of a certain age", others younger and older, but all searching.  i have never felt more a part of something in my life, even in AA.

here's my salute to my friends, and my love to those wonderful peers.  and here's to those just arriving, especially those far flung men just now creeping out of their rural or not-so-rural closets.  come out, come out, the weather may be turbulent, but the fresh air is beyond invigorating.

love,

jack   

[Miaisland]

Thank you Jack for posting and reposting, for sharing your experiences and emotions.

Congrats on your 26, 66 and the FOUR years!!!!

Thank you for being here.
 

[Marz]

not only has it made me love the film even more (and i didn't think that was possible)

i have made such great friends and even though most of them live thousands of miles away i feel they understand me and i can talk to them about anything and that means more to me then anything, and i hope we are all friends for many years to come, so thank you dave cullen forum and brokeback mountain for giving me so many new friends