h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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... sitting here, with no words to say in response ... thank you for posting this, Chris ...

Thank you for being one of the many to give me the courage to do so, Ben.

Thanks for that, Chris. That did take courage, and it was a great thing to do. You did not deserve what happened to you. You should have had much better. I'm praying that things will turn around for you. Make things turn around for you!

Echoing Ben and Willem.

Yeah, there's an echo in here, too.

H.
Stunned.

>feel free to regurgitate what I've said out of context in any way you see fit.

>nothing but faith, the only thing that will give me a chance of a normal life, and understanding can protect me from the consequences.

>This is my first attempt to acknowledge and live with my past, publicly and with as much grace as I can muster. If I can say this, who knows what I'm capable of.

The most graceful post I've ever read. Thank you.

I can't even begin to imagine how you feel. I hope the hangover isn't too bad. In vino veritas (the truth is in wine - a half remembered old roman saying). Hitting the post button was some thing to do. A good thing to do.

I'm probably the luckiest girl alive, with a kind and loving family and a skint(ish) but wonderfully free childhood. Good friends of mine here and in real life have not had such luck and yet amaze me with thier capacity to love and protect. This site is incredible, theres something oddly intimate in this form of community - ostensibly discussing 'life, the universe and everything' we're actually sharing our inner worlds.

And some of them are horrifying.

LeKz is right to say that the stories should be told. Truth, reconciliation and acceptance and the chance to learn, to stop the negative spriral and get some positive feedback loops. There is a massive capacity within people for horror and greatness. More greatness please.

I'm sorry, my words are never quite right for what I mean.

Theres that echo again...

>You did not deserve what happened to you. You should have had much better. I'm praying that things will turn around for you. Make things turn around for you!

Good luck, we'll all be here.

Wow. That was amazing, Chris. That must have been really difficult to write - but I always feel better when I've gotten something out of my system, especially if I've written it down. Thank you for doing it - and don't let this posting disappear into the woodwork. Add it to your journal entry list and make sure that people see it. It needs to be read.

With your eloquence and unique perspective, I believe you would do an excellent job on writing an entry about domestic abuse. If you feel like you would be too emotionally involved, you might consider collaborating with others on this site... I think you'd find lots of volunteers.

I just popped over to your page and read your article on PTSD - how is that coming along? It's an excellent article and should be in the Guide.

Thank you, Chris.

Thank you for your courage and your words and your understanding. You may have an idea what this means to me. I know exactly how hard that was for you to write. You're a better person than we, for what you've said and what we haven't.

David, John, Jeremiah, Becca, Susan, Dawn, Jonah... ahhh, f**k it, the entire D-sys.

Willem,

THANK YOU for sending this link to LeKZ. To say that they had a bad day today would be like saying that being at ground zero during a nuclear attack might be a bit inconvenient.

Chris again,

THABK YOU, again.

Chris and Willem,

Between the two of you, you are literally responsible for LeKZ not being in a locked unit on suicide watch right now, for reasons unrealted to, or only very tangentally related to, anything happening at h2g2. You've reminded them that there ARE good people and that they can be good for something. We'd say more, but the words don't exist.

D-sys

Dear D-sys,

I am extremely glad to have been of help, and I'm sure Chris is too. I - we - will try all in our power to help even more, as well. We are very aware of how much LeKZ need, right now. We will email. We try ... we don't always do the right thing, we know, we sometimes trigger them, but we don't mean to, and we hope we're learning how not to. We thank *yous* for having explained some of that to us. Please, in future, would yous do that again? Please tell us what upsets LeKZ, if they can't do so themselves.

Do you still remember the reply to the last thing Valerie wrote yous? We're still very interested in hearing what yous have to say!

Love,

Willem and the rest of us

There's nothing I can say. Wow. Thanks Chris.

"I still love this site, and I'll never forget what I've been given by some of the people on it..."

There, that says it.



Hey David - give my best to LeKZ, huh? I hope to see you guys after New Years. Tell 'em they'd better be in shape to argue!

Hi, Chris -

I read your posting about 10 minutes after it went up, but haven't replied 'till now. Your courage is to be admired, and your pain is to be borne by any of us willing and able to help you. I see by the subsequent postings that your growing 'support group'/circle of friends include some of the finest and most caring folk I've ever had the pleasure to assocate with. Please take as much comfort from that and them as you'll allow yourself.

I've noted before here and there the history of alcoholism in my own family (one of the strongest triggers I have in my 'adult' (sic) life is the smell of anything with alcohol/spirits in it), but that is, unforunately, not all we have in common. In my case, 'though, it was my mother and the knife was against my throat for what - from an eight-year-old's perspective - seemed like an inordinately long time. Normally I bluster with every confidence: "That ol' thing? I am so way over that!", but sometimes I have to wonder. I offer you the hope that, like me, you will find ways to function happily (a relative term, I know) in the life ahead, and that you don't smack your head against your own history as often as I sometimes do. It smarts.

Thank you for the boost to unload my own junk. Feel free to offload whatever you need to whenever you need to.



-7_shaken_*and*_stirred_7

As with Purple Jenny, I am ever more grateful for the happy youth my parents gave me and ever more shocked at how many in the world were not nearly that fortunate.

Thank you Chris and Rob for sharing with us and with anyone else who is willing to read.

These things must be spoken or they cannot be known.

These things must be known or they will not be believed.

These things must be believed of they will continue to happen.

They must not happen.

Barton

Thanks guys, all for your support, and especially Rob for your honesty. I feel better for knowing that. 8 years old... I don't know what to say either. Thank you for showing me that people can function with this. I'll rise to the challenge by your example.

I'll respond to you each in kind, but for now, I've really got to chill for a while.

Peace


Chris

Well, I hope you get some good rest, and your energy and enthusiasm back soon!

I've just come late to this thread. I've read but not responded, because I have little to say. I do have to say something though, and the 'something' is just that my sympathy and my support are there if and when they're needed. Just that, because I'm speechless.

Best wishes

x x Fenny (UT)

> "In spite of that, I would politely ask if Lucinda could cater to my pathological need for order and remove me from SBVM, as I'm still not very good with cliques. They feel like a trap. [smileys]"

It shall be done. I'm afraid I only just found this post, so please excuse the delay.

No big deal, really

Cheers all

Chris.

Can I have this thread moved to my PS, please? Lest I forget...