This corner of the ‘net used to come and hang out at a group-blog called Traditional Christianity. It was a rare post that netted fewer than two-dozen replies, and more than a few posts had replies for three or four pages. That blog served as a (more or less) neutral zone where we could get comfy, exchange ideas, and get to know like minded folks.
Little problem with that… it was taking 3-4 hours/day for the ladies who ran it to keep things under some semblance of control. So, a stack of us ran off to a private board, so we could take our hair down, chat more intimately, and do a lot less work. But generating the idea-talk that kept the men interested (without a lot of fresh influx of ideas) was another huge pile of work, and when the women just got comfy and talked life, the men got bored and left. Then the women started wandering off, one by one…
Some of them had the temerity to get lives. Jobs. Things to do off the ‘net. I know, unbelievable. The few of us who were left found that it became a ghost-town.
I started another private group, hoping that some new blood would bring back that activity and freshness. Nope. Folks didn’t get on very well, people got bored, they left. Just like parties, I’m only good at setting things up and putting out snacks. Y’all have to provide the entertainment. And no, “If you build it, they will come” is NOT a true-ism. Also, I’m pretty libertarian by nature. I have a short list of rules for common decency – I’ll avoid you if I don’t like you, but discipline you? It doesn’t occur to me.
Now, through these various groups, I’ve made some close friends. We keep up with one-another’s blogs, we email sometimes, quite a few of them have my phone number… etc. That is of unspeakable benefit.
But I miss TC. I don’t miss spending four hours arguing (oh, I’m so lying, I do – but it’s not beneficial) but I miss the constant flow of ideas. I learned so much!
It seems like the last few years, we’ve drifted off from each other, the big TC tribe has split into endless micro-tribes. Each one of those micro-tribes prescribes acceptable behavior for their in-groups. That’s their right. But I miss being aligned with folks who just had a few things in common: 1) Christianity 2) Intelligence 3) A love for a good idea. You don’t get to tell me how to do life, I don’t get to tell you how to do life, we’re just here to talk about stuff that’s interesting. You can make recommendations and argue your position, but that’s different. 🙂 I miss some of the ladies who left for real life (yes, Alte, I’m talking about you).
(I think half the “introverts” in the world are just people who’d rather exchange ideas for fun rather than going out and doing things. I have communities of people with whom I do things, like attend church or work out, I don’t have any communities of people I can *talk* to. The mind-hunger is real).
The differences of opinion, the differences in life-style, and the sincerity with which we attacked them, those things really made TC great.
I don’t want a little tiny tribe where I have to sit in a little tiny box to be “good enough” to hang around. I want a big tribe where I can be me, and I can appreciate others for their them-ness. (Or avoid them for being jerks, whatever). There are the things that are important (following Christ) and the things that aren’t (denim jumpers). Fresh air, fresh light, a flow – if you don’t get those in, you die.
No, I’m not setting up yet another private board, and I don’t have the time to set up another TC, even if I had the gifts, which I don’t. I just wanted to talk about my tribe, and that I miss it. The little tribelets don’t fit. I’m glad of my friends – very, very, very glad of my friends – but I miss the flow, the intellectual stimulation, the new thoughts.
And maybe I’m hoping someone out there *would* like to be the person (or persons) who hosts the next neutral zone…
We’re overdue for a family reunion.
Hands, Heart, Hearth 