Growing up

You're not so new anymore, Hyper--you'll have your first "TDL birthday" in a couple months. ;)

(What happened was that I had answered MissReepicheep's post and then saw that you had answered in between, so I thought I should mention that I liked your post, too. This thread is really neat--so many interesting stories.)
 
You're not so new anymore, Hyper--you'll have your first "TDL birthday" in a couple months. ;)

(What happened was that I had answered MissReepicheep's post and then saw that you had answered in between, so I thought I should mention that I liked your post, too. This thread is really neat--so many interesting stories.)

Alright, sorry about that! I just feel left out or something although I know very well it was only an overpost
 
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Great posts everyone! Lossy, hyper, and MissD. Thanks for sharing your story. I feel privileged to be part of this forum even more now. And MissD, you have never, ever been annoying and even if you had, we would still love you for being you! :D
 
I have also, in a way, "grown up on tdl." When I joined I was 17. Tdl was pretty much my first experience with the internet (shocker, I know). I joined at a time when my friendships at home were definitely shaky. I was/am socially awkward and then I found that Tdl was filled with similar types of people :D :p

People like Vanessa were a comfort when everything seemed so confusing and lonely in my life. She, and many others here, have become dear friends to me whose presence I miss as if I had met them.

One of the most exciting times from TDL was meeting my fellow Oregon buddy April (TD). It was amazing because TDL "came to life." Same when I was able to IM for the first time with Vanessa and Johny.

Yes, tdl has been a very positive influence in my life. My hope has always been that I will help this to be true for others as well...
 
I have also, in a way, "grown up on tdl." When I joined I was 17. Tdl was pretty much my first experience with the internet (shocker, I know). I joined at a time when my friendships at home were definitely shaky. I was/am socially awkward and then I found that Tdl was filled with similar types of people :D :p

People like Vanessa were a comfort when everything seemed so confusing and lonely in my life. She, and many others here, have become dear friends to me whose presence I miss as if I had met them.

One of the most exciting times from TDL was meeting my fellow Oregon buddy April (TD). It was amazing because TDL "came to life." Same when I was able to IM for the first time with Vanessa and Johny.

Yes, tdl has been a very positive influence in my life. My hope has always been that I will help this to be true for others as well...
Not to mention that without you, we duffers wouldn't have Fernyland to go on vacation to! Yay for Fernyland! :D
 
It might take me a few hours to post all that TDL has meant to me growing up. Bear with me. :D

In the early summer of 2009 I started looking for a good forum to join; one where I could express my opinions and meet other people. I got the idea to look for a Narnia forum after I had little success finding any other good forums.

On the CBH forums (the ones to which D referred), I had been a very divisive member, getting into arguments as often as I could and loving it, until it became evident that I had become quite unpopular on the forum for this reason. I quit the forum in... probably '05 or '06.

TDL provided a fresh start -- I didn't have to be arguing, unpopular kid that I was on CBH. I started out a very polite, kind, tactful member, posting a scathing review of PC with as much politeness as I could muster. And then it happened. I met Vanessa. My life REALLY changed when that happened. We could talk for hours on end about important things or just nothing. We hit it off big time.

This was huge for me because I had never thought about having a friend who wasn't a) close to my age and b) close to where I lived. But Vanessa was twenty years older than I and lived across the ocean. My friendship with her really broadened my horizons and forced me to think outside myself, something that I wasn't used to doing as an introverted teenager.

I really respected the mods when I started out here. However, this would not remain the case forever... :rolleyes: Gradually my respect for the moderators waned through certain happenings and I left the forum on several occasions. It came to a head after the "Scriptural Authority/Tradition" thread and I came this close to being banned. This truly woke me up and made me realize that I needed to start treating my authorities with respect or lose the privileges that this forum offered me. Since then, I practice honesty and tact in any debates that I enter.

I wasn't out of the woods yet, however, as I berated Glenburne for lying to me in Mafia game twenty-four. I apologized for my rashness and actually made a new friendship because of that. Glen is a great young lady and I am glad to be her friend.

I like to think that I'm continually growing in my Christian walk thanks to TDL and my friends here. We build each other up, and provide, as it were, an oasis; free from the harshness of the world with which we deal at all other times. GG, D, Glen, AK, Ferny, Derny, Vanessa, Zella, LBT, Alaina, Sister in Arms, Narnia Ice Cream, VL, TSI, Afton, Hyper, Anna Pendleton, Uncle Joe, SofA (and Sir Tom), ES, and even PotW :p have all contributed to my "change for the better" since I joined this site.

Whew! Now hopefully that didn't take too long for you to read. ;)

Mike
 
I have also, in a way, "grown up on tdl." When I joined I was 17. Tdl was pretty much my first experience with the internet (shocker, I know). I joined at a time when my friendships at home were definitely shaky. I was/am socially awkward and then I found that Tdl was filled with similar types of people :D :p

People like Vanessa were a comfort when everything seemed so confusing and lonely in my life. She, and many others here, have become dear friends to me whose presence I miss as if I had met them.

One of the most exciting times from TDL was meeting my fellow Oregon buddy April (TD). It was amazing because TDL "came to life." Same when I was able to IM for the first time with Vanessa and Johny.

Yes, tdl has been a very positive influence in my life. My hope has always been that I will help this to be true for others as well...

Thanks for sharing your story Fernie :D
 
Great posts everyone! Lossy, hyper, and MissD. Thanks for sharing your story. I feel privileged to be part of this forum even more now. And MissD, you have never, ever been annoying and even if you had, we would still love you for being you! :D

Awwww! :eek: Thanks so much, BK!

I agree! I just never said it! You rock MissD!

Thanks! :D And thanks for sharing your story! This is such a neat thread, and I can't wait to hear even more people share. =)


Awesome, Ferny! I'm glad that TDL has been a positive influence, and I'm glad you're still here, six years later. You are such a lovely person, and I'm glad I've met you.
By the way, I had no idea you'd met April in person. That is amazingly cool! :D


Sopes, your post is great! Don't worry, it was not too long to read. Mine was nearly twice as long, and I did not organize my thoughts as well as you did either. Thanks for being so transparent about your shortcomings. I'm glad that you have grown through your experiences here on TDL.

It made me think of something else I'd like to share: I have appreciated the opportunities to debate and discuss ideas through the Socratic Club, as well as in other topic threads. As long as everyone is civil, it's a wonderful learning opportunity in how to intelligently discuss things with others who may or may not share your point of view. My involvement has helped me to learn how to express my ideas clearly, how to debate nicely, and how to respect other's points of view.
 
Mike, you have grown and now you are helping to grow others.*is proud* It was very enjoyable reading your post. I thought it was a good length ;)

And I understand, Vanessa, she is just amazing. Not all older women have the maturity to reach out to those younger than her, but she does. :D

hyper buddie, thanks :)
 
D said:
GG is my best friend. I never thought that I would ever have anyone like her in my life. Other people had friends like that, but I didn’t think I would. Always in the past, my friends were friends of necessity (excluding family friends). We would never get together outside of youth group, we’d just hang out there because we had shared interests, and everyone else was talking about Justin Bieber.

GG actually really likes me, and that was such a new sensation at the time. xD I love her so much, and am so glad to know that she is there for me. I look forward to meeting her in real-life someday. In the meantime, I shall have to content myself with email, facebook, and letters.

I'm gonna embarrass you in front of everyone now. ;)

You just nearly achieved what has only happened like two or three times in my life, you almost got me to cry of happiness. I think it was the overwhelming happiness (and the fact that I read it really quickly so there wasn't time for tears to well up) that kept it from actually happening.

(Sorry folks, I will get to my own post eventually but I had to respond to this, do read on!)

D, darlingest, you are indeed pretty much my best friend right now. The only reason I say pretty much is because there is also Zella. The only reason I say "right now" is because I think somewhere at the back of my mind I do think it could be better for you if you found an amazing friend who actually lived near you but as I well know, that's not always possible. XD So unless some such person miraculously appears I will always, believe me, always be glad to be your best friend, it's more than I could ever ask for, I never believed I could find people like you or Zella, there are times it seems like I must be imagining you because you're so amazing. XD

Anyway, I could go on about that but other people have to read this thread. O: )

So I joined TDL years and years ago because I saw it was what Machia was doing and if Machia was doing it it was cool. Also I saw that there were some awesome people. ;) But unfortunately, being a 13 year old who had only just been let loose on the internet I was a little below the age range of the awesome people at that point. I didn't really make much headway until I met (surprise surprise) Vanessa. Looking at just a few posts on this thread she has influenced a lot of people. She had the most awesome graphic thread, taught me how to make graphics, made me awesome graphics, and cheered me on when I made my own.

From then on I just kept making more and more friends and I cherish so many of those friendships and miss a lot of the old people almost as much as I love certain new people.

However, it wasn't exactly smooth sailing. As I said, I was a 13 year old just released on the internet. And an opinionated 13 year old at that. o_O Seriously, do not read some of my old posts.


Well it was here that I learned I shouldn't post on serious threads, if I don't want to get in an argument and annoy someone else I should just stay out of temptation. I don't enjoy the feelings of guilt after speaking my mind in an un-tactful way and I became so much happier once I learned the art of quietly dropping a subject.

Here I've learned the art of graphic making and I'm now going to go to college for it. I've stumbled across some awesome TV shows and books and movies and music that I never would have found otherwise. These may seem insignificant in growing up but you wouldn't believe how much they've affected me. Also the prayer request section has been there for me during some extremely difficult times.

Well, this has kind of turned into an "I love TDL!" fest so I'll bring it back to the point of growing up. The most important thing TDL has done for me in this area is actually to KEEP me from growing up, strangely enough. I've had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of very serious problems all coming at me at once in this last year alone and the thing that has saddened me the most is how much it forced me to grow up. I miss being a little kid an awful lot. :p But on TDL I can come to Dufferland and play insane games just like Machia and I used to play. I can spout absolute nonsense and it will seem like poetry. I can never be serious and get away with it. TDL is just the most relaxing place for me to be right now, it's my own personal Neverland where I can stay the same and not grow up and no one will fault me for it.

And to come full circle, D has done me worlds of good in bringing back the happiest childhood memories I have and finding new fun kid-like things to do that we can totally get away with. :D
 
Thanks! And thanks for sharing your story! This is such a neat thread, and I can't wait to hear even more people share. =)

Sure! :), I agree, I'm loving this thread!


It made me think of something else I'd like to share: I have appreciated the opportunities to debate and discuss ideas through the Socratic Club, as well as in other topic threads. As long as everyone is civil, it's a wonderful learning opportunity in how to intelligently discuss things with others who may or may not share your point of view. My involvement has helped me to learn how to express my ideas clearly, how to debate nicely, and how to respect other's points of view.

THERE'S A THREAD FOR DEBATING HERE?! :eek:

As for GG and Sopespian.

GG: That was an amazing post! It's so cool to hear your story since you were always kind of a mystery to me. I'm realizing more and more that your just a regular person who likes to have fun whenever getting on TDL.. Great post ;) ( I would give you more rep, but its not letting me D: )

Sopespian: Great post! I cannot believe how far you have come, and I am SOOO glad to see me on that list! (it was the last thing I expected :p) If it's any consolation, since I've been on TDL you seem like the most mature member, with an amazing sense of humor! Great post! :)
 
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My dear Hyper, all the Socratic Threads are devoted to debating various interesting philosophical questions. Check it out sometime, though remember to be civil. ;)

It's amazing seeing how many friendships these forums have brought together, and seeing how we all grew and matured over the years. I love NarniaFans. :)

I propose this thread be stickied.
 
I discovered TDL while looking for the year The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie was released in theaters. I lurked for awhile, and eventually worked up enough courage to ask my parents if I could join. I remember that day very clearly. My dad and I went golfing (well, he golfed and I drove the cart:D), and I talked to him about it on the way home. I registered that night, scoured the internet for an avatar, and waited (rather impatiently) for my account to be activated.

That was almost three years ago now (though it feels longer). And, as they say, the rest is history.:p

I think the main things TDL has helped me with as far as growing up is concerned are creativity and friendships (though the latter isn't so much growing up as just helping me cope with life).

TDL was the first place I really showed other people my writing. I was always shy about it (still am, in fact), and having a place where I could post something and people could read it if they wanted to and ignore it if they didn't has given me a chance to see that there are at least a few other people interested in the kind of things I write, which has encouraged me to keep writing and to be willing to share with others. This place also got me started on making graphics, which is one of my favorite hobbies.

Now friendships. I have a very strict definition of the word friend. I've also shared very few of the typical interests of people my age for most of my life, so finding people I consider worthy of that title has been a challenge. By the time I joined TDL, it had been about four years since I had really good friends I got to see frequently, and even longer than that since I had friends I got to see more than once a week at the most.

Then I started making friends on here, and TDL became one of the first places in my memory where I had good friends who were around all the time. That has been so, so helpful. Even now, at college, there are some people whose company I enjoy who are around, but I am one of the most conservative people at the school, and finding people who share both my morals and my interests is seeming nearly impossible. Having a place I can come where there are some people like that is one of the things that helps keeps me sane.

I really appreciate the people on TDL, especially GG, D, Lossy, Mike, Glen, and Vanessa (and I'm probably forgetting someone; if so, I apologize:rolleyes:). I really feel safe and comfortable around you, and not many people in this world make me feel that way.:)
 
Wow, Mike (Sweetie), Ferny, GG ... you all are so inspiring and touching with what you write! And the tributes to Vanessa -- I hope she will come in here and see all this! What a wonderful lady.

Here's the trick in the philosophy/Christianity/debate threads ... take the high road. If you feel like someone is wrong generally or picking on you in particular, don't let them make you get down in the gutter with them. You hold your head high, and it the problem will blow over. I think it's very cool when younger folks get in those threads and speak up; you always have a good perspective and bring a lot to the party.

Love, love, love y'all!
 
Wow, Mike (Sweetie), Ferny, GG ... you all are so inspiring and touching with what you write! And the tributes to Vanessa -- I hope she will come in here and see all this! What a wonderful lady.

Here's the trick in the philosophy/Christianity/debate threads ... take the high road. If you feel like someone is wrong generally or picking on you in particular, don't let them make you get down in the gutter with them. You hold your head high, and it the problem will blow over. I think it's very cool when younger folks get in those threads and speak up; you always have a good perspective and bring a lot to the party.

Love, love, love y'all!

Inky, you have also been a positive influence in my life, as well as Inkling. You were also older women with whom I could talk about whatever was going on. You are also an "inspiration" ;)
 
I discovered TDL while looking for the year The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie was released in theaters. I lurked for awhile, and eventually worked up enough courage to ask my parents if I could join. I remember that day very clearly. My dad and I went golfing (well, he golfed and I drove the cart:D), and I talked to him about it on the way home. I registered that night, scoured the internet for an avatar, and waited (rather impatiently) for my account to be activated.

That was almost three years ago now (though it feels longer). And, as they say, the rest is history.:p

I think the main things TDL has helped me with as far as growing up is concerned are creativity and friendships (though the latter isn't so much growing up as just helping me cope with life).

TDL was the first place I really showed other people my writing. I was always shy about it (still am, in fact), and having a place where I could post something and people could read it if they wanted to and ignore it if they didn't has given me a chance to see that there are at least a few other people interested in the kind of things I write, which has encouraged me to keep writing and to be willing to share with others. This place also got me started on making graphics, which is one of my favorite hobbies.

Now friendships. I have a very strict definition of the word friend. I've also shared very few of the typical interests of people my age for most of my life, so finding people I consider worthy of that title has been a challenge. By the time I joined TDL, it had been about four years since I had really good friends I got to see frequently, and even longer than that since I had friends I got to see more than once a week at the most.

Then I started making friends on here, and TDL became one of the first places in my memory where I had good friends who were around all the time. That has been so, so helpful. Even now, at college, there are some people whose company I enjoy who are around, but I am one of the most conservative people at the school, and finding people who share both my morals and my interests is seeming nearly impossible. Having a place I can come where there are some people like that is one of the things that helps keeps me sane.

I really appreciate the people on TDL, especially GG, D, Lossy, Mike, Glen, and Vanessa (and I'm probably forgetting someone; if so, I apologize:rolleyes:). I really feel safe and comfortable around you, and not many people in this world make me feel that way.:)

GREAT post Zella! I'm soo happy to hear your story!


As a whole, one thing I've observed is that it seems EVERY one of us has came on TDL and found a BEST friend. That seems so cool to me! I really didn't realize this before!
 
Thanks for sharing your story, Zella. :D I sure am glad your parents said you could join. ;) TDL wouldn't be the same without you. I'm so glad I know you.

Although I have not yet experienced college, I can easily imagine what it must be like for you, and know that I will probably be in the same scenario one day. Having TDL here for like-minded people to interact is such a blessing!

I'm gonna embarrass you in front of everyone now.

You just nearly achieved what has only happened like two or three times in my life, you almost got me to cry of happiness. I think it was the overwhelming happiness (and the fact that I read it really quickly so there wasn't time for tears to well up) that kept it from actually happening.

(Sorry folks, I will get to my own post eventually but I had to respond to this, do read on!)

D, darlingest, you are indeed pretty much my best friend right now. The only reason I say pretty much is because there is also Zella. The only reason I say "right now" is because I think somewhere at the back of my mind I do think it could be better for you if you found an amazing friend who actually lived near you but as I well know, that's not always possible. XD So unless some such person miraculously appears I will always, believe me, always be glad to be your best friend, it's more than I could ever ask for, I never believed I could find people like you or Zella, there are times it seems like I must be imagining you because you're so amazing. XD

Anyway, I could go on about that but other people have to read this thread. O: )

:eek: Thank you so much, GG. I feel very accomplished to have almost made you cry of happiness. And it makes we want to remember if I've ever done it before. xD

It would be lovely if I met an amazing friend in my area, but the few awesome people I do know here I never get to see. *sigh* Besides, none of them could mean as much to me as you do. <3 I've never clicked with anybody the way that I've clicked with you.

Well, I do get to see one girl every week at the church my family is visiting. She's wonderful. :) You know her from email mafia: I don't want to say her name, but she was the detective the first round and mafia the second. Anyway, she's exceedingly wonderful and I am ever so very much fond of her, but there's not upstaging you. xP
 
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:eek: Thank you so much, GG. I feel very accomplished to have almost made you cry of happiness. And it makes we want to remember if I've ever done it before. xD

Zella has and a certain piano player has while playing certain Michael W. Smith songs but other than that I can't think of any other times, maybe last nationals but I think I was too out of it with my fever. o_O
 
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