Dear You 2.0

[human.]

Dear You,

As sweet as you are, me spending time with you yesterday, which happened to be Valentine's Day, and not with my boyfriend does not mean that you should buy me a rose.. It's gorgeous! And flattering. But I spent time with you because I won't see you for at least half a year, more likely two or three years, honestly, though you didn't seem to want to admit that, and my boyfriend had a lot of work to get done and we had just celebrated his birthday a week ago.

Everyone who makes a difference in my life leaves it. Freshman year you were that nerdy, but surprisingly cool and well-dressed senior who I had the biggest crush on. Sophomore year, we could have possibly started dating, except the day you kissed me, you joined the army. Super romantic stuff there. Now somehow we've switched roles completely since we first met. You literally sounded like me yesterday, which was really, really weird.. Now, to me, you're the only person beside my boyfriend who I can honestly tell my problems to. Not all of them.. but I feel surprisingly comfortable telling you about all the stupid things I do and feel. But now you're going away.. Just like Drew, David, John, Saagar, Alex, all of those people who have made a difference in my life. You're leaving, too. I know you think that things will be the same when you get back.. but I don't even know if I'll see you ever again. I really hope I do, though.

I've just been thinking about you all day, and it makes me sad to know that you're going away, just like everyone and everything important in my life has or will. My family is gone, my ability to get close to people is slowly declining because it seems less and less worth the effort now, the people who make me my best are gone.. But yeah, I'm really, really going to miss you, and I hope you find someone you can really have a great relationship with.

Love always,
human.

[Gravity Defier]

Dear Yous,

I've thought a lot about this. To me, your liking the Shadow series over the Ender Saga is the equivalent of liking SW Episodes I-III more than Episodes IV-VI and liking Bean more than Ender is the equivalent of liking Jar-Jar Binks more than Yoda. Is it possible to enjoy I-III and Jar-Jar? Certainly, but more than the others? Really? It just doesn't compute. There are certainties in life: you'll be asked to pay taxes, you will die one day, Ender is better than Bean, and for crying out loud, his Saga blows the Shadows out of the water.

Sincerely,
G D

[Mich]

Dear yous,

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. How depressing is Star Wars going to be for us when we finally have kids? What order will we show them in? Will our kids be tainted by their schoolmates and friends who claim the prequel trilogy is more exciting and has better effects? Like, I can't think about that trilogy without becoming saddened at how awesome it could have been, how excited we were at the prospect of "movies before Hope." Roleplaying as Luke and Leia and Han with my friends, shooting at invisible stormtroopers, shouting cheesy lines... our kids will have those times tainted by stupid, poorly directed, poorly imagined, prequel movies. And then they will look at the "real" trilogy and scoff at the poor effects and lack of action, just as my friend who had never seen all of them did when we watched them "chronologically." That is depressing.

At least I can pretend that someone will remake the Harry Potter movies when I'm fifty or so, and do it better.

[locke]

I'm gonna show my kids the Star Wars movies in this order:

VI, V, IV, I, II, III

at least their first time, cause that's the order I watched them.

[Yebra]

I'm going to keep my kid in a sealed box for 15 years so the Darth Vader reveal will be a complete surprise.

[daPyr0x]

Dear You,

I have mentally immortalized you in the image of you excitedly running towards me upon spotting me in the airport.

I would give almost anything to be hugged like that again.

Me

[zeroguy]

Star-Wars related (read the 2nd news post on that page)

I'm going to keep my kid in a sealed box for 15 years so the Darth Vader reveal will be a complete surprise.

Oh man, good call! I never thought of it before, but that's totally another great advantage of keeping 'em in a sealed box.

[Gravity Defier]

See, Jeff? If Little Gabe can like RotJ, Little Jeff/Jeffette will be capable of liking the OT as well. You'll be fine so long as you replace that friend.

[jotabe]

Oh man, good call! I never thought of it before, but that's totally another great advantage of keeping 'em in a sealed box.

With the great disadvantage being, you know, death by asphixia

[Mich]

See, Jeff? If Little Gabe can like RotJ, Little Jeff/Jeffette will be capable of liking the OT as well. You'll be fine so long as you replace that friend.

I should just kidnap Little Gabe from Krahulik! I just need to figure out where they live...

And the friend has been noted for his poor taste in movies and inability to pay attention to actual plots.

[starlooker]

Dear You,

Will you please, please, please just finish yourself? I don't think I have the stamina for much more of this. And I still have projectives to interpret, plus summing it up and recommendations. Never mind the whole BASC-2 problem. f***. You are one of the most stressful reports ever.

Me

[Confessions]

Dear You,

What? Why? I don't understand. What is it? Whatever it is, it's not a good enough reason. Do I not belong to the right category? Or is it because I got into trouble? No, those aren't good reasons, at all. The reason I might have to face, the reason I refuse to accept, is simply Not. It's the only sufficient reason, but I hate it. Two Decembers ago, I was overjoyed because I realized I still mattered. Nothing that's happened since then has changed that conception, so it became a kind of foundation for me, one thing I can rely on. Until now.

Well, okay. That changes things. My plans might alter. I will not butt in where I'm not wanted. Even if it's my dying wish. And I won't wish you a happy birthday this year. This is how it is.

-me

[Wil]

Dear Apple,

Stop being c*nts.

You make Microsoft look like saints compared to the amount of dick moves you've been pulling lately.

Not a Fan,
Wil

Dear Frito Lay,

This ad is AMAZING.

Wil

[Gravity Defier]

Dear You,

You've just been dethroned. I have mixed feelings about this but at least I can rest easier knowing it took me 3 years, whereas it took you something like one month.

-#1 with a bullet

[Jayelle]

I noticed that you were close and rejoiced.

[Gravity Defier]

I was mostly flabbergasted. If you could go back in time and ask 2.0 me if I ever thought I'd get to #1, I'd have laughed and pointed to Val-Nicole or Janelle as the more likely. Oh, the warm fuzzies I get remembering their competitiveness. And then Eriador was up there for so long, I got used to him being there. You know what he was like? The manilla folder. Just there.

But now I am, which makes me think I need to bribe others into posting more.

[starlooker]

HAHAHA.

Yes. The manilla folder. That is the perfect description of Eriador.

*nostalgia*

Anyhow, I'm glad you made it, too. Having him as #1 just seemed wrong. This is much better.

[Wil]

It took me two days to realize what you were talking about. Woo, yay #1!

It took me three years to get 800 posts. It took Peterlover14 three months to post double that number.

[Rei]

Wow... that's awesome! I knew it had to only be a matter of time before he began to get bumped, but time can take so long!

[Eaquae Legit]

Much, much better. Man. Woo!

But, um, I don't get the manilla envelope joke.

[locke]

Eriador used to have more than 2900 posts, some game room threads must have been deleted or something. :-p

[locke]

Dear You,

remember your christmas present I wrote you? It wasn't very good, and I'll only post the first half, but I think I also just realized I could actually write again when I had someone to write for. why did you keep saying you'd never read anything I'd written when I wrote this for you? I had a project I was having a lot of fun with and making regular progress on, I wasn't taking it to seriously and was just enjoying getting creaking writing muscles to work. you read half a page over my shoulder and said 'that's not very realistic.' and I haven't been able to write anything on that project since. It basically died in that instant, at least for the forseeable future, what had been teh easiest thing to write I'd worked on in years suddenly became impossible.

in any event, this poor offering was for you.

Gray-blue pools that pour open
Into a smile wide and hesitant
Still secretive, unsure, happy
And a little wide-eyed;
Like being given an unexpected gift,
Smiles that don’t end and inner-
Happiness that is as unexpected as
It is embraced.

Smokey fire-yellow that sparks
And curls auburn to be straightened
Out again. But won’t behave--
Wild and unexpected in a
Wavely frame around soft
And gentle countenance
Makes the heart skip and thrum
As you are stunning.

To see and then to wrap fingers
And breathe deep the soft floral
And sparkling, pull closer
Arms around while hands cup
And draw upwards into
Until two meet and sweet
Taste of love yearning
And we are tumbling.

[Gravity Defier]

But, um, I don't get the manilla envelope joke.

Not so much a joke, Ali. He just became like the manilla folder from the old banner to me because like it, his being up top didn't make much sense (~3000 posts in a few months? Yikes) and may have been a little annoying at first but then it just became the way it was, just there, familiar.

Eriador used to have more than 2900 posts, some game room threads must have been deleted or something. :-p

Yes, I noticed the mod playing around; if the threads weren't deleted, it'd have taken me a few more weeks/months.


Anywho, enough now.

[Jayelle]

But, um, I don't get the manilla envelope joke.

Not so much a joke, Ali. He just became like the manilla folder from the old banner to me

It looked like this if you don't remember.

[Mich]

It looked like this if you don't remember.

I had forgotten... so long ago.

[Yebra]

So looked it up and apparently this is my 501st post? Better make it count.

*ahem*

Boobs.

[Dr. Mobius]

Dear you,

Don't delete your posts. I tried to reply, but between hitting reply and submit the thread ceased to exist.

- A momentarily confused me

[Gravity Defier]

Dear You,

On the off-chance you find yourself interested in or actually watching Lady Gaga's music video for "Telephone," skip from around 7:20-7:50; there is loud, crunchy food chewing.

-me

[Wil]

Dear You,

I find it very interesting that you decided to email me a copy of the letter you sent to Amber, describing all the things she has done that are, let us say, less than honorable. I don't understand why you would think I should see it, however I have a sneaking suspicion that you did so to sort of "show" me what she does, so that I may stop liking her. If this is true, it is very sneaky of you. Unfortunately, the more screwed up someone is the more interesting I think they are!

Also interesting that you warned me that with you and her fighting, I shouldn't let her manipulate me because of it. I have a lot of trouble understanding that rationality... you and her fighting = her acting different to me? Must be something I don't know...

- Your Cousin

Dear You,

Conversely, I find it interesting that you deleted my cousin from your list of "BFF's" on Facebook since she sent you the message. Also interesting is how you've started to talk to me more. You even spelled my name correctly! I hope it is because I'm being friendlier (directly related to me liking you less, strangely enough) and not because of the previously written Dear You.

- Wil

[starlooker]

Dear You,

Thanks for watching out for me.

~~Appreciative

[Gravity Defier]

Dear You,

Three days have come and gone, essentially, and I can't bring myself to forgive what you said and what you couldn't bring yourself to do. I have no doubts that it feels hollow, pointless, and stupid to you but it was such a small gesture with such a huge possible payoff; the fact that you didn't, couldn't, wouldn't speaks extremely poorly of you. You asked me once to tell you if ever you were passive-aggressive...I don't know that that fits the definition but it was cruel. Actively so. However angry you get at me -yes, for stupidly and vocally wanting more of your attention- I am a person, with feelings and the fact that I get hurt easily does not in any way reduce their existence to such insignificance that you can trample all over them.

If it seems as though I'm getting worse and it's happening more often, it's because no matter what I tell my thinking-brain -the one you think overthinks everything- my feeling-brain is convinced it is time to mourn the loss of you and all that you meant to me. I wake up feeling you are lost to me, I go to bed feeling it (I dream it, even), and even when I am talking to you, it feels as though you're barely there- being around is not the same thing as being present. Going through the motions where once you sincerely meant what you said does not come through the same way.

I have made mistakes. I regret each one along the way but I admit it, I try to apologize for it, I try to let you know as best as I can the cause for it. You, you act as though you have made none, as though anything you do that hurts me is entirely my fault or is just who you are, like it or leave it. You say I am the same as your friends, that I am your friend, and then you turn around and treat me like some item on a checklist of things to try (with minimal effort) to do. This has always been there, to some degree, but you softened up for a while, let me think I could count on you, and when I did, against my better judgement, you pulled the carpet out from under me.

I miss who you were in 2008 and half of 2009. I'll probably be going to Tucson tomorrow for the first time since May of last year. It'll be the first time I'll be there since I started talking to you nearly two years ago that you won't be on my phone, as Jane, or on regular IM. It's the last untouched geographical location that has any deep feelings tied to it where you are concerned. It's where I told you to watch Dr. Horrible, where I wished you happy birthday two years ago, where I stayed up entirely too late the day before my brother's graduation talking to you...such small, stupid, hollow, and pointless things, right?

I am such a fool. Then again, so are you.

Alea

[Caspian]

Dear America,

Welcome to the 20th century! It's nice, I hope you'll like it. You're a little late to the party, but better late than never, right? It's going to be a tough transition, I know. Some rich people will get less rich, and that's going to be tough, especially in this tough economic euphemism. But when the dust settles and you start to realize that you can get sick without going bankrupt now, you'll see that it was all worth it. We're all proud of you. Let us know if you need any pointers in this transitional period.

Sincerely,
The rest of the developed world.

[locke]

Dear America,
...

Sincerely,
The rest of the developed world.

Oooooh...
I think, Yes, I'm almost certain, that's a double whammy spell Caspian! It's a "Summon locke" and a "Summon Syphon" Spell at the same time! Amazing for a single post!

lol on the forum I frequent with a really really active and wonderful American Politics discussion--a board that is frequented by about 40% non-Americans there were lots of similar notes. Funny and awesome that pweb got one too. You all must have been really puzzled by how backwards the USA is on healthcare, and I imagine most foreign tourists were terrified of the prospect of getting ill in this country while in the country. :-p

I may leave the ranks of the uninsured this year.

anyways some of those other "dear america" esque responses were:

Congratulations on this first step toward a more just and better risk pooled health insurance system.

-

Congrats guys! :cheers:

I am confident this is the first step to the US having a decent universal health insurance system by no later than 2074.

-

Congrats to all U.S. citizens and welcome to the civilized world.

[starlooker]

Dear You,

I was really expecting more loyalty. I mean, even before I ever got to graduate school, you were a constant presence during times of stress and academic work. Particularly when I was sitting at a desk, typing. You were there, watching, protecting, forcing me to give you some attention. This is kind of our time. So, on the first day of my big dissertation push, the best you can do is come up and nudge the chair? Granted, the computer seems to have a static attraction to your fur. And, granted, I was actually doing a lot of typing, which would've been a little crowded for you. You're not the teensy kitten that you were, and using you as a wrist-rest cannot be too comfortable after awhile. Still, I'd expected you to insist on being in my lap a little bit. Maybe just at the beginning when I was freaking out.

What's wrong? I miss you. I need my dissertation pal! And my lap warmer!

Person who feeds you

[human.]

Rather serendipitous with the above post, but I swear I've had the intention of writing this before I read that!

Dear You,

Last night was the first night you ever showed me that you can tell what I'm feeling, or that I am experiencing some form of extreme emotion. Yeah, I was basically sobbing.. but you ran and jumped in my lap and rubbed against me! I actually felt a bit of happiness in there thinking "Aww, you really do care about me." And I petted you and you sat in my lap for a whole minute! It was beautiful and comforting and helped me relax a bit.


AND THEN YOU BIT ME.

Why? We were having such a great moment! You don't bite me when I'm sad and you're comforting me! That's weird!

But you are my cat and I will love you even if you are not the most intelligent nor coordinated nor logical being I have ever met. Just don't bite me next time!

With love,
The Bitten.