Okay, that whole long explanation is to introduce a...well, I can't call it a speech. I'm not exactly sure what it is. I'll call it a talk. Except for that doesn't really apply either. So it's a type.
Anyway, this type was something I made for my fellow MBers during a really low time on the MB. You won't get a lot of this because it's for a very specialized audience, but the central point is true for everyone. I hope you enjoy it.
I think some of the spacing is a little weird, but bear with it.
We are People
Hey, y'all. In case you don't know me (this applies to most
people) I'm Anna, and I've been on the MB a little over a year. I have
something to say to everyone.
Lately, I've seen a lot of suicidal posts and learned a lot about people's lives. It makes me really sad. Also, there's the whole thing about people leaving the MB. They come here for a reason--if they're leaving, they haven't found what they're looking for.
I'm a homeschooled Christian. I'm not exposed to much. And this...this makes me feel a lot of things. Children so often feel unwanted. They feel rejected, or, worse, ignored. I know a little bit about how this feels, but I'm not here to complain--I"m here to help.
Listen, y'all. I'm sure you've seen the posts. So many MBers want to help people in pain. What hurts us hurts you. But...I think it's time I told you something.
The MB is awesome. It's a place where we can use only our words to build a reputation, where nerds actually fit in. But it's also a place where you have to work to be seen and where things can be hard. But the MB is built on people, not words.
PEOPLE.
So I'm going to bring up some agent names.
Gabby.
Alex Writer.
Layna.
Vanessa.
Justin.
All MBers who brought something so important to the MB, and then left. Gabby made peace between the branches and made the MB more of a union. Alex Writer took Fyre's and Ashes' invention of Alter Egos and turned them into the Protectors and Lexians. Layna turned the MB into a close-knit community with her associations and stories. Vanessa revolutionized Amian with her unfinished story, Gold Digger. Justin organized the MB and made agents feel like they really mattered.
I was here when they were here. I watched them leave, and I couldn't do anything about it. When they joined the MB, none of them expected to leave. Layna, especially, insisted that she would never leave.
She was one of my dearest friends. (My other bof was Andy, who also left. The reason she isn't on the list is because I was only mentioning really well-known Mbers.)
So, here you are, reading this, and I've got you depressed. If these people left, why should anyone stay? I already said that the MB is built on people. How can it stay strong if all the people are leaving? I'll tell you why.
You are a person.
Yeah, that's it. That's the reason. You are a person. You make the MB strong. So stand with us. And make an effort, not only to enjoy yourself, but to make the Message Board better.
Yes, these people left. Yes, we will mourn their absence forever. But the main thing is that they were here. Someday you'll leave, too. But on that day, be happy that you were here, and for now, make a change.
For anyone who's suicidal, please rethink this. You are a person. Isn't that amazing? You are a person, not just some dumb animal. You have a choice. Even if the only people who care about you are on the internet, we do care about you.
Because you are a person.
Life is worth living, and it's our choices that determine its direction. You can change things.
And everyone, please remember something for me--even when your friends are gone, even when your family ignores you, you are yourself. And God is still there.
When my friends, Andy and Layna left, I was stricken. We had been the unbreakable trio. I and Andy were Layna's best friends, I and Layna were Andy's best friends, and Layna and Andy were my best friends. I didn't know why to stay.
But here I am, and you're reading this. So please take strength from this. It may be hard to recover, but you can. I know because I did.
Take strength in knowing that you can make choices. Unlike animals, you have a spirit. These things matter.
I hope you realize your worth.
~Anna
Lately, I've seen a lot of suicidal posts and learned a lot about people's lives. It makes me really sad. Also, there's the whole thing about people leaving the MB. They come here for a reason--if they're leaving, they haven't found what they're looking for.
I'm a homeschooled Christian. I'm not exposed to much. And this...this makes me feel a lot of things. Children so often feel unwanted. They feel rejected, or, worse, ignored. I know a little bit about how this feels, but I'm not here to complain--I"m here to help.
Listen, y'all. I'm sure you've seen the posts. So many MBers want to help people in pain. What hurts us hurts you. But...I think it's time I told you something.
The MB is awesome. It's a place where we can use only our words to build a reputation, where nerds actually fit in. But it's also a place where you have to work to be seen and where things can be hard. But the MB is built on people, not words.
PEOPLE.
So I'm going to bring up some agent names.
Gabby.
Alex Writer.
Layna.
Vanessa.
Justin.
All MBers who brought something so important to the MB, and then left. Gabby made peace between the branches and made the MB more of a union. Alex Writer took Fyre's and Ashes' invention of Alter Egos and turned them into the Protectors and Lexians. Layna turned the MB into a close-knit community with her associations and stories. Vanessa revolutionized Amian with her unfinished story, Gold Digger. Justin organized the MB and made agents feel like they really mattered.
I was here when they were here. I watched them leave, and I couldn't do anything about it. When they joined the MB, none of them expected to leave. Layna, especially, insisted that she would never leave.
She was one of my dearest friends. (My other bof was Andy, who also left. The reason she isn't on the list is because I was only mentioning really well-known Mbers.)
So, here you are, reading this, and I've got you depressed. If these people left, why should anyone stay? I already said that the MB is built on people. How can it stay strong if all the people are leaving? I'll tell you why.
You are a person.
Yeah, that's it. That's the reason. You are a person. You make the MB strong. So stand with us. And make an effort, not only to enjoy yourself, but to make the Message Board better.
Yes, these people left. Yes, we will mourn their absence forever. But the main thing is that they were here. Someday you'll leave, too. But on that day, be happy that you were here, and for now, make a change.
For anyone who's suicidal, please rethink this. You are a person. Isn't that amazing? You are a person, not just some dumb animal. You have a choice. Even if the only people who care about you are on the internet, we do care about you.
Because you are a person.
Life is worth living, and it's our choices that determine its direction. You can change things.
And everyone, please remember something for me--even when your friends are gone, even when your family ignores you, you are yourself. And God is still there.
When my friends, Andy and Layna left, I was stricken. We had been the unbreakable trio. I and Andy were Layna's best friends, I and Layna were Andy's best friends, and Layna and Andy were my best friends. I didn't know why to stay.
But here I am, and you're reading this. So please take strength from this. It may be hard to recover, but you can. I know because I did.
Take strength in knowing that you can make choices. Unlike animals, you have a spirit. These things matter.
I hope you realize your worth.
~Anna
