The persona that he created of himself on this board drove me crazy. He presented himself as haughty and arrogant, absolutely convinced he was smarter and richer than anyone else, and he felt it was his duty to belittle those who disagreed with him, that he knew things no one else knew and that's what made him better than the rest of us.
I reacted by creating my own persona of him, the rich kid whose Mama got him his start, lived the comfortably smug country club lifetstyle whose only connection with any person of color was through his superior interaction of dealing with them as his servants. It made him so mad he said he'd never speak to me again, and true to his character he never did.
But the truth was I always believed if we met and knew each other as who we really were, not the characters we pretend to be on this board, we would become friends. I'm sorry that never happened. I'm gonna miss the guy even though he wouldn't talk to me.
Does anyone know where I can send flowers and condolences?
Someone I have gotten to know on this board a few months ago said people don't understand someone's board persona is usually way different than who they are in life and not to be taken seriously, if you actually knew them. I think their is a ton of truth to that and something I never thought about. I also think on these boards we don't know all the time when someone is serious and is trolling or just jerking your chain. It reminds me of the back and forth a tight football locker room had, or decades ago an audit team traveling around the country together spending more time on the road than with family. Man we could dish it out, it was all for fun and no one got hurt feelings.
Written words also come with no facial expressions or body language. You don't know who is writing them. You don't always know if they are serious or not. I believe all of us troll at times and that is part of the fun.
My life has not exactly been a bed of roses, so void of facial expressions, body language, and not knowing the person, I can take things on a board too seriously because life for me has been serious. A blind spot for me for sure and something I have failed at times to control.
Family can fight like the dickens, but someone outside the family attacks them you will fight to the death for them. Dave to me was part of this board community and family.
I have had my share of back forth on this Board with a few members, but I can guarantee if someone needed my help and it was something I could help them with I would.
Boards are ripe for creating anger and hate. I am embarrassed to say due to how my mom died and other random things that have happened within my family, for a time period I was very angry at god. Lasted about 2 years. I learned at age 30 a very important life lesson, forgiveness and acceptance might be the most powerful way one can free themselves mentally and remove anger and hate, and replace with love and compassion. Life is so much better filled with hope, optimism, compassion, and love.
At times I fail at that, but I do eventually find my way. Life is too short to live in constant anger or hate, it will absolutely consume you and make your life miserable. I know, I was there for 2 painful years. Thankfully I pulled myself out of that myself. God I think had a part in that.
David was part of my family thru this Board, and we took shots at each other at times. It was fun and possibly at times things could be taken too seriously. I would like to think had he PM'd me and needed my help he knew I would, I certainly would have for him and I know he would have for me, I know that is who he was.
I am 62, I think we are close in age. For many reasons I took this really hard last night.
RIP Dave.
