Hastings, New Zealand - 09:00 NZDST
Congratulations, Anu, on the occasion of your baby's first year of life!
I'm supposed to keep this brief, and I will try, but there is quite a bit that I feel compelled to say. At least one Board member is aware of the true extent to which Max is an alter ego for my "real world" self, and this post is from Max's other half. When I signed up to this Board in August, I had no inkling of what awaited me. In the months since, I have been educated, informed, amused, angered and inspired. Above all, I have been amazed. Alone of the adults who post here I have no tertiary education, and for that reason, I had shied away from this Board for the first few months of its existence, fearing an aggressive academic elitism. Instead the warmth of reception and sheer depth of humanity that I have been treated to has left me humbled and grateful and regretting those wasted days. The diversity manifest among those who post here is the key to the strength of this Board, and my wish for the next year is for this to continue to be true. I am hopelessly addicted to this Board, and I don't care. AWADtalk would not have had the successful first year it did without the unique blend of personalities, experiences and talents that have contributed, and to all who have done so I offer my thanks. I am indebted to you all, and especially to Anu for setting up this Board, and for having the courage, discernment and foresight to allow it to evolve unaided. If the above seems rather egocentric it is because the anniversary has reminded me what a precious part of my life this Board has become. Ironically, what I have not learned here are the words to express how I feel, so I shall conclude by summing up what I wish for AWADtalk and for all who post here:
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
