The lack of a BT since July has actually been somewhat refreshing, as I was forced to "turn away" from the car wrecks that could be found throughout the forums. In a sense it forced me to actually get some work done on helping myself (what a concept).

What once was a place to find a wealth of information, experience, and the chance to help others, had become...well, with all due respect, a mere source of distraction.

After nearly seven years, BT was now a bit of soap opera of sorts: the fights, the tedious arguments, the bannings, the quiet PMs, back and forth amongst friends, enemies...friends quickly, quietly, surprisingly, becoming enemies, due in part, to the paranoia floating through the forums.

The "interest" of sharing support, friendship, experience, medical info, etc. with those with common fates [at BT1] blah, blah, blah, was gone.

Is it anyone's responsibility to return BT1 to a state that used to be valuable to me? Of course not. Perhaps it is a signal that BT1 [or any "support" forum] isn't for me.

Perhaps it is the nature of a site with such large numbers, that conflict is the inevitable outcome.

Perhaps, it is unreasonable to expect our members to behave honorably, kindly, with empathy and compassion, without the threat of banning. No need for mods if we behave...

Perhaps not...

This site [BT2] appears to be a new home for those that have moved on, for those that need to set the record straight (can't let go) and let's hope, for those that can behave and actually derive some medical benefit without injuring others...

Sometimes, letting go of past hurts, sets us free. Sometimes, perhaps, it is better to let go...

Me thinks voting for anything is an empty motion, as what once was, won't re-appear with a "checkmark". It takes comitted members who can flex and bend, and, at times, agree to disagree with grace and understanding to make anything of value live and grow.

"hope springs eternal"...