Author Topic: Peak Brokie experiences  (Read 10307 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2006, 10:58:00 am »
While I've had a lot of amazing experiences since last December, and many people have said kind things about some of my posts and about my fanfiction, the "peak," really has to be actually getting together and meeting fellow Brokies, in New York in April and in Boston in September.

First of all, when it comes to travel--even just the short distance from Philadelphia to New York--I'm pretty conservative. Hey, travel is expensive, and I don't do it much, only one or two vacations a year. So, for me, it felt like a big deal, busting out of a rut, to make those trips.

More importantly, I'm essentially a very shy person. I don't do well in "party situations" with groups of strangers. I hate fishing for small talk and I'm lousy at it. But the thing is, amazingly, on both of these trips, I immediately felt comfortable with all these strangers. I'm sure in some cases it helped that we'd been communicating on line for months, but I think the main reason was, we all, already, had something in common to talk about. No fishing to discover a common interest in order to have something to say to each other.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline mlewisusc

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2006, 12:21:19 am »
Jeff, are you saying the most travelling you've ever done is around the coffee pot looking for the handle? ;D
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2006, 12:33:14 am »
Jeff, are you saying the most travelling you've ever done is around the coffee pot looking for the handle? ;D

I think Cape Cod is a little bit farther than that, but not much. Never been to Mexico, though, that's for sure!  ;D
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline RouxB

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #13 on: December 02, 2006, 02:48:57 am »
Is it possible to peak more than once-given enough time? Since I have so many I'll have to the choose the one that brought me here. It was February and I was dealing with my father's surgery and illness. I was alone with minimal support but had Brokeback Mountain to keep me company. I had seen it 3 times in SB before leaving and spent much time on the internet watching and re-watching the trailer. One day I happened upon IMDb and my life changed. I found company and distraction and kindred spirits. Then the trolling began. I stuck with it however until that wonderful day I got a PM from Yaadpyar inviting me over to join the Tremblays. Those wonderful people saw me through a very emotional and scary time. I fell completely in love and saw my obsession truly blossom.

 O0

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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #14 on: December 02, 2006, 01:27:26 pm »
Is it possible to peak more than once-given enough time?

Absolutely! I assume many of us have had more than one great experience provoked by BBM, so when I said "peak" I wasn't referring to the absolute very best pinnacle moment, but to any or all moments that stand out as valuable experiences you wouldn't have had if it weren't for BBM.

So another experience that stands out for me is meeting Brokies in person. I've only met three: Front-Ranger/Lee, atz75/Amanda and Yaadpyar/Celeste. Each one was wonderul and unusual: encounters that were technically meetings between "strangers" who, it was immediately obvious, really weren't strangers at all. We quickly moved past the usual introductory small talk and got into substantive, interesting conversation. Now I count all three as permanent friends. And there are a number of other Brokies I count as permanent friends, too, whom I just haven't met in person ... yet.

Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2006, 02:51:28 pm »
Absolutely! I assume many of us have had more than one great experience provoked by BBM, so when I said "peak" I wasn't referring to the absolute very best pinnacle moment, but to any or all moments that stand out as valuable experiences you wouldn't have had if it weren't for BBM.

You shouldn't have said this  ;). Now I will shower you all in tons of longwinded stories  ;D.

No, I won't. For another absolute peak experience I need only few words: Euro-Brokie meeting in London last September.


Quote
So another experience that stands out for me is meeting Brokies in person. I've only met three: Front-Ranger/Lee, atz75/Amanda and Yaadpyar/Celeste. Each one was wonderul and unusual: encounters that were technically meetings between "strangers" who, it was immediately obvious, really weren't strangers at all. We quickly moved past the usual introductory small talk and got into substantive, interesting conversation. Now I count all three as permanent friends. And there are a number of other Brokies I count as permanent friends, too, whom I just haven't met in person ... yet.


It's noticable that for many of us, highlights of our BBM experiences are reaching out and finding connections to other people. Be it online or in person or both. This is a a great outcome of Ennis's and Jack's story.

Quote
whom I just haven't met in person ... yet.

Yep. If wishes were horses... (At school I learned the proverb goes "If wishes were fishes...", but wikipedia says horses. Anybody willing to enlighten me?)

Offline Meryl

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #16 on: December 02, 2006, 03:24:08 pm »
Yep. If wishes were horses... (At school I learned the proverb goes "If wishes were fishes...", but wikipedia says horses. Anybody willing to enlighten me?)

What's the second part of your "fishes" version, Chrissi?  The one I know goes "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride."   I don't think that would work for fishes.  ;D
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #17 on: December 02, 2006, 03:26:56 pm »
What's the second part of your "fishes" version, Chrissi?  The one I know goes "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride."   I don't think that would work for fishes.  ;D

How about, "If wishes were fishes, we'd need lots of dishes"?  ;D

Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2006, 04:52:58 pm »
What's the second part of your "fishes" version, Chrissi?  The one I know goes "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride."   I don't think that would work for fishes.  ;D

If wishes were fishes, I'd have a whole ocean.

One Web site says this is a Scottish proverb, another a nursery rhyme:

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
If turnips were swords, I’d wear one by my side
If ifs and ands were pots and pans,
There’d be no need for tinkers’ hands.

If wishes were horses,
Beggars would ride;
If wishes were fishes,
We’d all have some fried.
(alternatively, “We’d all cast our lines”)

Hey, goadra, that's great. This rhyme contains both versions (although not the second part as I learned it). Seems my teacher at least was not totally wrong.

Thanks to the threesome of you anyway, whatever version is right. Maybe there's more than one correct version.

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Peak Brokie experiences
« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2006, 07:13:07 pm »
Nice to see you, Barbara. You've been too scarce here lately!!
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