Mewl Windrunner
Novice
Hello Everybody.
I'm new here. I've been hanging out in the IRC chatroom for about a month, and I'm working on applying for citizenship. I've been a member of a number of online communities before, some of them quite emotionally close. While I've kept some of those friends from some of those places and times, the communities themselves are all but gone.
I'm usually a pretty happy and content person. Last month some things happened that upset me terribly, and I found myself in a bad state emotionally for the first time in years. I did not handle it well. I felt a sense of isolation and loneliness. The details aren't all that important, but it started me thinking about the communities to which I used to be a member, and the sense of inclusion that I felt in those places. I wanted to feel that again. I wanted to belong. Somewhere.
I went in search of an active chatroom that dealt with something that I love. Active IRC chatrooms are hard to come by these days, and I found myself running down a list in my head of the various fandoms and interests that I have. Wheel of Time was my first choice and I started digging. I registered on Dragonmount and joined their chatroom, but nobody was in there.
I found the TV.net chatroom next. Lo and behold there were people in there. Not that many people, but there were some, and they were talking! It was a good distraction to my troubles. I chatted a little bit, but felt discouraged. I came into a community that's was well established long long before I got here. I felt like a generic internet interloper. I should stress this was no fault of the chatroom or its members. The people in there were nice, surely, and very welcoming. I just didn't really feel like I belonged there.
I was feeling mopey, and like a drag on the chatroom and just generally speaking a bother to people. So after 4 days or so of trying to fit in there and failing, (at least in my own head) I was thinking about giving up on TV.net. And it was with that mindset that I was privately messaged by Enya Tawarwaith with a simple message. I don't recall the exact words, but basically she said: "If you need to talk, you can talk to me."
Now I'm a nobody. I'm just some internet stranger passing through. She didn't need to message me. I wasn't asking for anyone to message me. And I recognize a message isn't necessarily some huge undertaking. For Enya, I'm sure it was just a small gesture. But for me, that particular night, at that particular time, it was a big deal. It made me feel like I could belong in that chatroom; that I could belong to Tar Valon.net. It made me feel like I wanted to belong here. Enya was not the only member to message me privately, but she was the first. And her timing was impeccable; without her intervention I don't think I'd still be here.
I've met a number of really nice people in the chatroom. I'll forgo listing all of you out, because I'm afraid I'll forget someone. I'm very much looking forward to meeting the rest of you on the forums as I work toward citizenship and beyond. This may sound cheesy and schmaltzy but from the chatroom and the forums I've read and participated in so far it's clear that this community is full of genuine kindness and warmth. I want to be here. It would be an honor to belong here.
Thank You, Enya.
Thank you #Wheel.
Thank you Tar Valon.
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to earn your trust and friendship.
-Mewl Windrunner
I'm new here. I've been hanging out in the IRC chatroom for about a month, and I'm working on applying for citizenship. I've been a member of a number of online communities before, some of them quite emotionally close. While I've kept some of those friends from some of those places and times, the communities themselves are all but gone.
I'm usually a pretty happy and content person. Last month some things happened that upset me terribly, and I found myself in a bad state emotionally for the first time in years. I did not handle it well. I felt a sense of isolation and loneliness. The details aren't all that important, but it started me thinking about the communities to which I used to be a member, and the sense of inclusion that I felt in those places. I wanted to feel that again. I wanted to belong. Somewhere.
I went in search of an active chatroom that dealt with something that I love. Active IRC chatrooms are hard to come by these days, and I found myself running down a list in my head of the various fandoms and interests that I have. Wheel of Time was my first choice and I started digging. I registered on Dragonmount and joined their chatroom, but nobody was in there.
I found the TV.net chatroom next. Lo and behold there were people in there. Not that many people, but there were some, and they were talking! It was a good distraction to my troubles. I chatted a little bit, but felt discouraged. I came into a community that's was well established long long before I got here. I felt like a generic internet interloper. I should stress this was no fault of the chatroom or its members. The people in there were nice, surely, and very welcoming. I just didn't really feel like I belonged there.
I was feeling mopey, and like a drag on the chatroom and just generally speaking a bother to people. So after 4 days or so of trying to fit in there and failing, (at least in my own head) I was thinking about giving up on TV.net. And it was with that mindset that I was privately messaged by Enya Tawarwaith with a simple message. I don't recall the exact words, but basically she said: "If you need to talk, you can talk to me."
Now I'm a nobody. I'm just some internet stranger passing through. She didn't need to message me. I wasn't asking for anyone to message me. And I recognize a message isn't necessarily some huge undertaking. For Enya, I'm sure it was just a small gesture. But for me, that particular night, at that particular time, it was a big deal. It made me feel like I could belong in that chatroom; that I could belong to Tar Valon.net. It made me feel like I wanted to belong here. Enya was not the only member to message me privately, but she was the first. And her timing was impeccable; without her intervention I don't think I'd still be here.
I've met a number of really nice people in the chatroom. I'll forgo listing all of you out, because I'm afraid I'll forget someone. I'm very much looking forward to meeting the rest of you on the forums as I work toward citizenship and beyond. This may sound cheesy and schmaltzy but from the chatroom and the forums I've read and participated in so far it's clear that this community is full of genuine kindness and warmth. I want to be here. It would be an honor to belong here.
Thank You, Enya.
Thank you #Wheel.
Thank you Tar Valon.
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to earn your trust and friendship.
-Mewl Windrunner
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I'm so glad that you experienced the warm and welcoming side of our community. It is one of the biggest reasons I stay around here. 
I look forward to getting to know you now that you're here!
I, too, have found a renewed sense of inclusion since joining TV.net back in April. That feeling was lost after all my friends left a previous community, and I was left wandering the Interwebs for several years. I understand that feeling of loneliness you're referring to. While I may not visit IRC much, I look forward to seeing your posts around the forums 
