One year by DavidFlourhands
One year. It seems longer, but today is the first anniversary of my first post in this joint. So I’m going to reflect, and you can’t stop me, but you can ignore me and pass on, which is fine. I started to do the quick crossword online at the end of March last year – something to do, something to keep my old brain ticking over, when the first UK lockdown was imposed. After a few days I noticed the comments and it didn’t take me long to realise there was something going on here – fun in a convivial community. But there was also a mystery, a code, references to a Caff, special words and names and something called EPT. So I carried on exercising my brain with the crossword and dipping into the comments, not feeling inclined to post one myself. Until 22 October 2020, when I took the plunge with a modest one-liner. Things built from there.
I’ve reached an age where I have a sense of time running short. I’m trying to pack a lot in before I'm 15d. I don’t spend enough time here. So I’m often frustrated finding that I’ve missed opportunities to respond to people who have replied to one of my posts, or to add my thoughts to an interesting thread. And there is so much now. To the long-term denizens of the Caff, I imagine it might be like living in a 10a. You get to know everyone and things are settled until a housing estate is built nearby. The newcomers (I’m one of them) often don’t understand the 10a culture, and some of them are, occasionally, uncouth. Tensions and resentments occur in all dynamic communities. I think we all have to try to understand our own baggage and listen properly to others. But I’m getting too deep, when all I really wanted to do when I started this was to say thank you.
It’s been a difficult time for many of us, but for me a lot less difficult after stumbling into this extraordinary community. Thank you for the jokes, the poems (pomes), the stories, the interesting thoughts, the music, the puns (well, some of them) the occasional top-notch writing (I hope Ferenjinan’s schooner hasn’t sunk) the kindness and empathy, and lots else. (And there seems to be less carping pedantry and sniping at the setter than there once was. Either that or I’m getting better at ignoring it.) And special extra thanks to spanishscot for minding the Caff.
I’ve reached an age where I have a sense of time running short. I’m trying to pack a lot in before I'm 15d. I don’t spend enough time here. So I’m often frustrated finding that I’ve missed opportunities to respond to people who have replied to one of my posts, or to add my thoughts to an interesting thread. And there is so much now. To the long-term denizens of the Caff, I imagine it might be like living in a 10a. You get to know everyone and things are settled until a housing estate is built nearby. The newcomers (I’m one of them) often don’t understand the 10a culture, and some of them are, occasionally, uncouth. Tensions and resentments occur in all dynamic communities. I think we all have to try to understand our own baggage and listen properly to others. But I’m getting too deep, when all I really wanted to do when I started this was to say thank you.
It’s been a difficult time for many of us, but for me a lot less difficult after stumbling into this extraordinary community. Thank you for the jokes, the poems (pomes), the stories, the interesting thoughts, the music, the puns (well, some of them) the occasional top-notch writing (I hope Ferenjinan’s schooner hasn’t sunk) the kindness and empathy, and lots else. (And there seems to be less carping pedantry and sniping at the setter than there once was. Either that or I’m getting better at ignoring it.) And special extra thanks to spanishscot for minding the Caff.