Re: OT: will catch up soon

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Hey Everyone,Before I got out of my rut and took off today, I skimmed my email. I highlighted some to answer, but it's been along day and I'm turning into a pumpkin. Will try to catch up in the next couple days. Really love hearing from newbies and want you to welcome you, commiserate, and encourage. We're all in this together and 'together we can do it yourself'. :)Be well,Léna Hi Jim,I think of Thane as our leader. He moderates with a light and tolerant hand, and by doing so, has helped this group thrive. I know he doesn't always feel great, and is silent at times, but I feel his presence and appreciate it. As for conspiring: that's a stressful activity I don't have the energy for. WYSIWYG with me. I love this group and it is an important part of my life. I trust it, with all its fluctuations and morphing, and am deeply touched by the very recent posts of newbies who have been lurking and now are coming forward. Welcome, all of you. We Need you! Every newbie is another seeker of info and the more seekers we have, the more info will be found. They may think they need us long-haulers, but we need them just as much: partly because our being able to give answers shows us that this $@#% disease has been teaching us stuff, that our suffering isn't in vain if we can ease another's fears and concerns, and partly because they help us remember how bewildering it once was, and that things truly DO get better over time.Be well, you long-hauler, you,Léna Oh darn Lena,I wish you wouldn't have said these things the way you did, I just wrote some similar stuff for Thane and he is going to think you and I conspired off group about this... :-) Uh, is Thane our leader? I knew we had a moderator, but didn't know who it was? !!!! From what I have learned, isn't a moderator supposed to stop fighting on the group and act as a referee? Oh, that was that other group... :-) Jim I've been thinking... Message List Reply | Forward Message #7501 of 7600 < Prev | Next > Re: I've been thinking... Hi Thane People come to this group for many reasons. Newbies come for info, and much of the info is repeatedly offered by veterans, because we were all newbies once and understand how overwhelming it all can be. Jim has the right idea in his organized fashion of re-posting great fact-sheets for newbie's benefits; those, BTW, are also welcomed by us less-organized veterans. Others, like me, try to offer info, sources, etc, when questions come up, although sometimes, when I'm really tired, I hope someone else (or Jim) will cover it. Sometimes I highlight it, to check back and see if the question got answered and fill in if it hasn't. Some days I just get involved in my life (yes, a life away from the Lyme-laptop). Sometimes I go do things with friends (those people who don't have Lyme) For Lymies of the long-haul, our needs may be different. We're sick of explaining Lyme to acquaintances and family who just don't 'get it' and sometimes, when we feel particularly isolated by the disease, the group is a refuge of social solace and emotional support. Banter is a bonding thing that allows us to later open up when we're feeling truly wretched and can't trust non-lymies to comprehend. So when I write from scratch for the eighth time, how to do a low-volume, easy and comfortable coffee enema for a newbie who doesn't yet know anything about detox, I hope I'm meeting someone's needs and assisting in their healing journey. And when I goof around about feeling like a crack-house for critters to a seasoned veteran and fellow sufferer, I'm meeting my own needs and making someone laugh. That's still a healing thing. this group is surprisingly on topic or at least on Lyme-topic, compared to a psoriasis group (there are several) I recently joined which seems to be nothing but social chit-chat, unrelated to the topic at all. I don't know what the answer is, except to say that we are all needy in some way, and must learn to ask and seek, to share and console, and sometimes things flow and morph, simply because they are organic, like their participants. One reason I color my posts, is so that if a newbie decides my 'product' isn't worthwhile, s/he can skip it at a glance. Be well my friend, you're being a good leader. Léna I've been seeing how our group has been morphing lately from one that keeps personal chit chat to a minimum and focuses mostly on treating lyme to one that includes more personal off topic discussions and less about lyme. So I wanted to ask you all, What kind of group do you want? Because i'm not sure we can have both. In a group that is mostly lyme information focused there seems to be higher quality information shared and new members feel less intimidated to join into the discussion. And in a group where we act like old friends and feel free to talk about many things non lyme related we find more emotional support, which is just as important, but we can come across more cliche-ish, discouraging some new members from joining the discussion and asking their questions. I guess I have always wanted our group to be a place where sick new members can find informed people willing to help and not have to sort through Off Topic posts that exhaust their precious little energy. I'm probably not the only one who has noticed that we get very few new members asking questions anymore. And that to me is a tragedy because there are so many wonderful people here who could offer helpful suggestions. And it seems its those new questions from members that spurs the very best lyme discussion. I want to reassure you that though I am the moderator of this group, it is YOUR group, and its you who choose what you want from it. I am fine with it staying the smaller closer nit group we have now that enjoys the freedom of talking about a whole variety of issues if thats what you want, but just so people understand that its discouraging some new members from joining the discussion. I of course still boast we've got the best group on the net! :)Thane Sat Jan 9, 2010 10:55 pm Show Message Option Guyot Léna lenasquest Offline Send Email