Finally ready to stop lurking...

What's up ATS. I guess I am finally ready to stop lurking and start getting involved in some discussions. I have been lurking on this site regularly for probably 4 years now even though I never signed up until earlier this year. My younger brother introduced me to this site and I have been an avid reader ever since. (addicted some would say)

A little about myself...
I am from a very small town in southwest VA. Yes this be the place where all us hillbillies are...lol...Please don't judge me by others that you may have encountered from such places in the past. I hate when people automatically assume that all people from the country are less intelligent or that we must certainly have less life experience because we live in a place that moves just a little slower than most of the world.

Anyways, I am interested in a variety of things that are discussed here on ATS and I have gained a wealth of knowledge here in my years of lurking. Not that anything going on in the world is any less confusing now than it was when I first started to wake up about 10 years ago now, but nonetheless, I have learned a lot here and have also found that I am not alone in the ways of my thinking. I love topics concerning global events and the ways that they seemingly tie into a much bigger picture more often than not. I am also very interested in philosophy and things relating to such topics...

As funny as this may sound I am actually really nervous about writing this. I have no idea why considering the buffer zone that the internet provides...lol...guess it may just be my nature. I think I am nervous about how I will be perceived knowing that first impressions are everything and even as I type this I feel as though I'm rambling. After lurking for so long you would think that I would know that first impressions aren't everything, especially here where I will have plenty of chances to prove myself as worthy to contribute to a good thread and make it a little bit better, but hey like I said...guess it's just my nature.

Oh well, enough about me for the time being. Hopefully my first 20 posts go quickly (yes in all this time I have not posted even once, silly I know) but hopefully they will go quickly because I got a thread in mind about the moment my eyes were opened that I think might interest a few of you and at the same time maybe I could get some insight into experiences that may be the same in ways. (if that makes any sense) I'm shutting up now before I talk in circles all morning. I have a tendency to be long winded...

Hey!
Welcome on ATS!

Don't worry, you are not going to be judged here. There are so many cool people on ATS. Just keep your tinfoil hat on and everything will be ok.

Anyway, glad you've joined us and I'm looking forward to seeing you around.

Have fun!

[edit on 13/7/10 by sandri_90]

Thanks sandri...

Sometimes I think my foil is wrapped a little too tight. I think that is why I'm always drawn back to this place, it lets me know I'm not so crazy after all. We can't all be crazy can we?...wait don't answer that...I don't want to know...lol

reply to post by Jakal26


We always come back!
And we are all crazy, but at least we are not alone.

Very true...

I will accept crazy over asleep any day of the week though. It saddens me to see all the people walk around not realizing what is going on around them, or even worse, not caring.

reply to post by Jakal26


Welcome

Im kinda new around here also, well new to posting ( i did lurk for a few years ) you will find the 20 posts fly by in no time,

see ya around the boards

Hi Jakal

Welcome to ATS, I too lurked for a while before getting the courage together to make myself known, it is a bit scary but I think that life is scary too.
Just keep in mind that no matter what, some who read what you write will agree with you and some won't, but you must never let that get you down or stop you from saying what you NEED to say.
We are all here to learn AND to teach, sometimes the lessons are difficult and sometimes we end up realising that the person whose lesson we have been following have their own agenda and that we have nothing to learn from them and so we move on.
I also want to add that you, judging by your grammer and spelling, are no less intelligent than most of us around here and growing up in a slow moving place in not a bad thing, I am from Africa and I used to feel less worthy but have come to realise its not where you come from that matters its what you have learnt and are teaching others along the way that counts.

Welcome to ATS I look forward to reading your first thread when its up and running. Incidently which global event topics have sparked your interest?



[edit on 13-7-2010 by franspeakfree]

reply to post by franspeakfree


You know, I think it was the day that I realized that things were not as they seemed to be. I was 17 years old on 9-11-01. Still in high school as a matter of fact, and to be honest, at first I did not even question things not being exactly as they seemed. I was at that point in my life still trying to find my way out of the rut that religious doctrine had put me in. It was just so hard for me to believe that "God" was as simple as they made it out to be. At the time I had no idea how things worked in this world. It took me many months after 911 to realize that a lot of what was being said did not make any sense to me. At the same time I was waking up in a spiritual way as well (but I guess that is to be left for the topic of my first thread) Anyways, after "waking up", or maybe starting to care is a better way to say it, I was suddenly interested in any information I could absorb. I had an urge to learn like I had never had in my life, a craving for knowledge that persists to this day. The more I learned the more I wanted to know and as much as I feel confused by the way things play out, things seem to make more sense when there is an element of perceived truth to them. Lately I have been very conscience of the situations in the GOM and Iran. I think a lot of things are happening very quickly in this world around us while we are being distracted more and more, seemingly everyday. I don't know what a knowledge of the truth about these events will do for me in the long run, or if the SHTF, but I feel better knowing that at least I won't be blind sided by it if it does come to pass. Maybe a consultation prize of sorts...lol...

BTW if this seems to run wild in places, I apologize, very hard to type this and keep on track as those around me will not stop talking at the moment...

[edit on 13-7-2010 by Jakal26]

reply to post by wiser3


Thank u wiser3,

This is the reason that I have always enjoyed reading on this site. Those that judge seem to be the only ones judged here and I like that. I always liked the fact that the trolling is kept to a minimum here and that those who laugh at and mock those with wild ideas are not the majority but the minority here. Hopefully I have something to add here and hopefully as much as I can learn, I can teach a little something to someone as well. It seems that I have hit a dry run in life, realizing that most people don't really care about anything but their toys and money. Even when presented with the facts they just seem to give the same answers..."um hum...ok...well then..."....For some reason I hear that a lot. Hopefully here it will be a little different and some of the experiences I have had in my life will expand the views of another. Thanks for the welcome and hope to see you around on the boards soon.

reply to post by Jakal26


Welcome to ATS, I look forward to your future posts