Postby TheSubtleDoctor » Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:16 pm
Hi, guys.
Though the anime forum people will likely have noticed my unforetold absence during the last two months, the majority of the CAA population will likely not know me. That is fine; if you don't know me, then there's no obligation to continue reading this.
On September 19, my family and I moved to a larger city so that I could take a better job. It has been absolutely amazing: the city is a great place to live (so much for my kids to do) and the people I work with, in addition to the work itself, are fantastic. This is the sort of job that deserves all of my time, attention and energy. I give more of myself emotionally to my current job than my old one; I even find myself thinking a lot about it when I'm not actually working, which is something I have never experienced with a job before.
I was able to get back into anime and delve deeply into its history because my last job did not demand nearly as much of my time or energy. Even while I was at work, I had huge swaths of free time to watch animu. This is, unfortunately, no longer the case. Between work, family life, new friends and one out-of-commission PC, I have had little to no time for anime. This, of course, entails me having little to no time for anime-fan activities...like posting on CAA.
CAA has been out of my life, but it has not been forgotten. I wanted to post something in this thread because I feel that I owe as much to this community for all the good it has done me. In 2009, my first daughter was stillborn. This unexpected tragedy threw me (not to mention my marriage) into the most difficult period of my life. I was very broken inside, and it took me a long time to come to the place I currently am in (still healing, but very healthy), and CAA had something to do with that. Sure, it's just an internet forum, and, sure, nobody here directly guided me through my dark night of the soul. However, I do not think it is right to diminish the contribution to healing made by community, conversation and distracted enjoyment. CAA offered me all of these things. Plus, I made a few friends that I will keep in contact with even after CAA goes up in iSmoke.
So, thanks CAA. You were a big part of my life (and not just my internet life) for three years. Hopefully this is not goodbye forever; I will pop in when/if I can. I will check my MAL account when/if I can, as well. When I finish school next year (yup, still going to grad school on top of this demanding job), perhaps my newly free(er) weekends will push me back to anime and, in turn, this great forum. But, the upshot of all of this is that, for now, I will be an infrequent guest at best and gone, gone, gone at worst. I hope the former holds true.
Till then: lay your heart down, onto the sea of the stars.