A Long Time Comin'

[paul.]

every once in a while you come across a monument to your own stupidy, something that forces you to revisit unpleasantries of the past whether you want to or not and take a good hard look at yourself.  i see a couple of these on a daily basis.  there's the big scar on my knee from ACL surgery because i just had to play football in that snow and ice.  there's the bone jutting out of my shoulder because i thought that jumping those big gaps and climbing those cliffs on that dirt bike was so cool. 

 

and today, i stumbled across another one of these monuments to my own stupidty while cleaning out the basement.  what it was isn't important.  what it made me realize is.  in 2011 to well into 2013, i was often a jerk to some nice people on this forum.  things were not going well at work and it had me perpetually PO'd.  perhaps you understand if you've been there and it takes everything you have on a daily basis for months at a time to avoid doing something really stupid where you work.  but that is a poor excuse.  i treated some people really badly on this forum who had been nothing but kind to me and in some cases, much better than kind. 

 

it's easy to forget that there are real people behind the screen names on here.  it's easier to type and hit send than it is to take a deep breath and hit delete.  i owe some people some big apologies.  and i think that it's ultra weak to treat someone bady in public and then apologize in private.  so here goes. 

 

Kent (roadwarrior), i'm sorry.  you were concerned enough about me to try to talk to me about some of the things i was saying on here.  you could tell something was wrong and you tried to be a friend.  and i didn't stop and think about what you were trying to tell me.  i just plowed ahead and ultimately just left. 

 

Glenn, i'm sorry.  i know i said things on this forum that caused you and some of the other mods a lot of frustration.  you guys have to run this forum how you see fit.  and i shouldn't have said things to intentionally make your positions difficult. 

 

Steve (Big O), where to begin?  you treated me like family.  you took a personal interest in me and my life.  you fed me, let me stay in your house, gave my daughters presents, told me you loved me every time we talked, and much more.  and then i got mad at you over something as stupid as baits.  i said things on here out of anger about you and your products that i should have kept my mouth shut about.  instead of trying to fix things between us like i should have, i just said heck with it and walked away.  i'm sorry.

 

Shane J and Mrs. Matstone also come to mind.  I said things either directly or indirectly to or about both of you on here that i shouldn't have.  I'm sorry.

 

And there might be more.  if i was a jerk to you and forgot about it, then i sincerely apologize.  Things were somewhat of a blur during that time period and i was often blinded by the anger and frustration i experienced at work.  Thank goodness for my wonderful wife and kids. 

 

it's a shame that it took something long forgotten and burried in my basement to make me realize that i needed to do this.  i should have done it a long time ago. 

[roadwarrior]

Let's move forward. I offer my best wishes to you and your family.

 

Welcome back!

 

-Kent

[Dwight Hottle]

Good to see you back Paul.

[J Francho]

Paul, you're a good guy, and you're good with me. Happy fathers' day bud.

[Glenn]

Hi Paul,

I appreciate the thought put into your post.  It shows maturity and responsibility, both of which I hold in high regard.

 

We're good.