Mick, you beat me to it.

The Getaway gathering was very much like a reunion, a continuation. Though many of us had never met in person, there was instant community, and a deep bond, which surprised and delighted me. The gift of music is the seed which has caused us to come together, but the community is the fruit. And for many of us, it started here.

It has been said by some that this (MUDCAT) isn't the real world, that the personalities that are created here are not real, and therefore it's okay to fire off whatever enters our minds, no matter how nasty or hurtful. I disagree completely. This isn't a computer game. There are real people behind the words. I think this place is very much a reflection of what's happening in the real world, a microcosm, as Jerry said. There is a lot of tension in the real world now, and that is reflected here as well. But there is also a LOT of goodness, and I do believe THAT to be the more powerful force. And just as we need to take responsibility for our actions in the real world, we need to do the same here. At the end of the day when we look back and say, "What good have I contributed today?" we can include this place in the overview.

Jerry, thanks for starting this thread. You've expressed so much of what has been "brewing" in my mind over the last week or so. As always, you've given us food for thought. Thanks for your contributions which always encourage and inspire us to "walk the walk."

KT