Realwomen.co.nz

After all these years ~ seven perhaps? ~ I still check into RW daily.

Relative to several other RW regulars, I am an infrequent poster. However, I am a v v v regular reader. RW is important to me and has brought quality, daily stimulation and good friends ~ KKKKKaty, Jackie, Ellieann in particular ~ to my life.

On the downside, RW caused ~ or rather, the messageboards facilitated ~ the loss of a fairly longstanding real~life friendship. Someone I knew and had interacted with (and worked alongside!) over many years, and had introduced to RW as a means of connecting with NZ whilst she was living overseas, chose to behave and interact in an aggressive and ugly manner which ultimately destroyed our friendship. V v sad, but so be it.

But it is so wonderful to be part of our RW community which transcends age and geographical barriers. One of the greatest appeals is that we all have such different lives. I love the fact that newlywed Elizabeth has a life so different to Cyberchook, whose life is vastly different from Roseyone whose capacity for loving/giving/working/homeschooling has always astounded, impressed and inspired me. It is a privilege to be privy to the topsyturvyness of RWs' lives ~ to shed a tear over their losses, celebrate their achievements, share in their lives, I love the foreign-yet-in-spirit-connectedness of Forgiven and Jilllie ... imagine if we could all someday meet?!

Those of us RW who have been here for the long haul have been though ~ cyber~ly and in some cases as RW-inspired personal friends ~ loss of parents, cot death, divorces, job-hunting, finding love, redundancies, health challenges, graduations, learning to cook, depression ... in other words, life cycle stuff.

I love that we are so accepting, forgiving, supportive of each other .... Unless and until a spammer, idiot or chanceruser drops into our wee secure community, at which point we might at best passively entertain their flogging their dubious wares, or in fun times taunt (remember the guy with a fetish for long spindley toes?), tease them or tell them to bugger off. we are a very accepting lot. I ~ who has taught thousands of students over the years and interacted with many of their families ~ might think that I've seen/met all types, have learned so much about life from RW.

I have a new and exciting venture ahead this year, in a few months in fact. Whilst the change involves lots of physicall hard yakka and emotional sorting as well, by mid-year I hope I will have shed my old shell and be revelling in assuming my new lifestyle. I am about to sell my home of 15 years and move to an innercity apartment. This is to be my mid-life adventure. It is a fresh and neutral change for Mr Suse and me and an opportunity to shed one shell prior to testing other shells out for fit.

My random~ness took even me by surprise.

Whilst I don't think I was thinking of a full-on CNTRL+ALT+DEL, I suspect I was thinking of the occasional urge/need to REBOOT one's life.

Hello all!

Yes its me - the vaguely familiar one!

There is really no excuse for my absence and I must say that I have missed you all. I didn't realise just what I had put on hold until right now at 11.43pm (insomnia) and after reading this topic thread from Suse.

My life, along with every other gorgeous lady on this site - has been a hectic one. It too has had its ups and downs just like everybody else in this world!

My time has for the most part, flown by and almost gone unnoticed. The stresses and struggles of my career, raising two boys plus all the rest of lifes trials and tribulations have certainly kept me busy, if not INSANE!

I hope that you are all fit and well and please do fill me in on what has been going on with you all and also with this site.

PP

Oh Suse, thank you so much.

You have encapsulated exactly my own thoughts, & others as well,...just what RW means to us.

RW is part of the cycle of our lives too, along with all the other examples you mentioned, ..whether we are regular visitors, or occasional drop ins.

I am always inspired by the caring & thoughtful answers from those naturally caring members who so beautifully support those troubled members.

Words can heal, inspire, soothe, calm, uplift, give confidence, & friendship as well as fellowship.

On the other hand, ...some words can bring down, crush, ridicule, hurt, & are just plain nasty.

Fortunately, those utterances are rare.

There are more caring & loving statements here, than hurtful ones.

Welcome back Powder Puff. I hope you find more time to login, with your busy life.

BUT Powderpuff I reckon insanity has a lot going for it!!!!!!

I have been a part of Realwomen for a long, long time and my day always begins with a look in to see what the other wise, funny, compassionate and, sometimes, needful women are up to. Sometimes it's quiet with only one or two posters, at other times there is a veritable flood of information. No day is complete without my three times daily visit to this wonderful site. It feels like dropping by to a long-time friend's house for a cuppa tea and a chat. I feel I know you all so well.

There is rarely a problem that someone does not have an answer to. It may not solve the problem but just knowing that there are sympathetic souls out there, ready to offer a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold, goes a long way to alleviating hurts and losses. It's great having an ear to pour worries into or a quick witted response to life's lighter and sillier moments. Sharing an experience or a joke, appreciating life's more light-hearted moments, knowing that someone out there feels or has felt the way you do during the bad times, connecting with sisters overseas who, under the skin, are just like ourselves - these things are priceless and I would hate to ever be without any of you.

I feel so sad for those who looked in and decided that this spot is not for them, or those who have left for one reason or another. They are missing a wonderful experience.

Oh.... Wow ! What more is there to say ! You girls have said it all, and so eloquently and sincerely between you.
Like many of you, I too look in most days. Not that really need to tell you that anyway, for I generally leave lots of little clues for you to find and know that I have been here. After 7 or so years, of logging on, old habits die hard as they say, and I cannot seem to be able to resist opening up my trap, to comment on at least one post or another. Sometimes when it has been particularly quiet here, and I look in and see kkkkaty , kkkkaty , kkkaty, all over the message board, I do think, " oh my lord Katy old girl, you have just got too much to say for yourself, and they must be sick to death of your inane comments! " I honestly do not mean to take the place over, but sometimes I do feel as though I might be, just a little bit too much !. It is just that I hate to see the site going all quiet, and would hate it to die through lack of new input.... I just wish that I could come up with some more interesting or erudite topics now and again!
Sometimes I even wish "Sam " of the long toe fettish, would return for some razzing. Oh... I will never forget him! We sure got some laughs from those episodes in the " days of our lives' on RW.
There have certainly been some characters and great wits pass through these pages over time. To all of them, and all of you, who have helped form the tapestry and woven the colours together over the years , I say Thank you, thank you for your special friendships and Bless you all !.

Oh... and I meant to say, "Hi PP! Nice to see you pop back in too. Would love to see you having a say now and again too.
Thanks, Suse... lovely post !