A true hero gets recognition

I was going to postpone putting this thread in until later but earlier events have compelled me to do this sooner.

Disclaimer: This will be a long to semi long post with somewhat serious stuff so if you are looking for something else you might want to look elsewhere.

Greetings Players,
For those of you that don't know me my name is General Knowledge. I am here to tell a story and hopefully spread a message. I put this in the art section because it relates to people in this community. Anyway let me begin.

As a young child I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder. This led to a very unhappy childhood and I had relatively no freinds throughout my childhood years. In June of 2007 my therapist reccomended I buy an MMO to help me out with my social problems and as an outlet for problems I have. I chose CoX and I began playing. It didn't really change anything, even when I transitioned form high school to college, until this January. That is when I joined the SG "Explicit Content" on the Pinnacle server.

For those of you that don't know, that is EnnVee's SG. I got to know her and began talking to her. At first it was casual chitchat but then I confessed to her that I was gay. This was at a time when hardly anyone knew I was and my parents did not fully accept. Telling Ennvee I was gay opened a door that needed to have been opened for a long time. She, and to an extent Barron, began talking to me about issues I was facing, like my parents not being accepting of me, and soon she took over a role in my life that needed to be filled, she became my RL mentor.

EnnVee began talking to me and helping me to overcome my RL problems. she did it in an unorthodox manner. She did not sugarcoat anything. EnnVee told me the truth sometimes despite how bad it may hurt because it was what I needed to hear. With her help I confronted my parents. I did not get them to believe that I was gay but they at least supposedly accept it. At the same time there were men at my college that I was interested in, however these were later found out to not be the kind of people I thought they were. I found out these things by EnnVee teaching me important lessons by setting me up to fail. I know this sounds sadistic but I learned things by failing with these people that I would've learned in a harder manner on my own, between my disorder and my naivety.

Things started to improve greatly for me. Over the summer EnnVee and Barron started helping me learn to stand up for myself and grow a backbone. Before her mentoring began I was a doormat and I would never stand up for myself or hold my ground. With her help I achieved a longtime goal of mine. With my transfer to the University of Colorado Denver Campus I will finally be moving out and away from my folks, which will most likely make my life a lot greater. Even in the forums a little while back she managed to reach into your hearts and get me a touching gift for my birthday when I couldn't afford art myself.

To this day EnnVee continues to listen to me when I have problems in any way shape or form. She doesn't always tell me something sugar coated and sweet but she tells me exactly what I need to hear. I know she may do this for all of her freinds but it means so much to me to have someone stepping in and filling in a place that has needed to be filled for years.

Her and "Explicit Content", and I know this is gonna sound real dorky, are some of the greatest freinds I have right now. The reason I post this now instead of when I was planning to is that tonight I had some help from her again and she helped me wake up and realize that life is hard and often people who you think are your freinds are really big jerks. A large circle of my RL freinds have sort of abandoned me and treated me badly when I've been going through these tough times. EnnVee and "Explicit Content" have stuck with me through al my problems and have never once thought less of me because of them.

I am trying to EnnVee back for all the help she has gven me (At this point I might as well be a permanent indentured servant based on what I owe her) she has done this all out of the kindness of her heart and now I am going to try to pay her back. I have asked an artist to do a free piece for her. This artist accepted but EnnVee will just have to wait and see how it turns out.

To everyone in the art community, there are many people like me. Young, naive, and troubled people who sometimes need a freind in difficult times. It doesn't matter if you met them online or they live down the street. Being a mentor can mean the world to people like me. So if you see someone having a hard time, open your heart.

Okay I rambled on long enough. To EnnVee, I thank you for everything you've done for me, and here's to hoping my story can inspire others.

I don't really know either of you so I can't comment too much on that but I will say that it's really amazing how much "online life" can touch someone's "real life" and I just wish more people took that into account when choosing how to act.

I'm glad you found the support you needed and Bravo! to EnnVee for providing it!

EnnVee truly is a wonderful individual (don't know much about Barron, but birds of a feather...then again opposites attract...ok, Barron, we need to meet sometime), and I'm so happy they were able to provide the much-needed support 'real' life can often deny us.

The first time EnnVee and I actually interacted was when I was showing interest in a position within the City Scoop. Of all the staff, I felt like approaching her first and she opened her doors. I was a bit nervous about a convo on vent (that and I didn't have a headset), but we had a few moments before Snowglobe arrived. Right from the start, EnnVee gave me the straight and narrow and I could tell that she was both sweet and tart, firm and soft. Most of all, she told information as it was and didn't care about pulling punches...I admired that. She does indeed have a quality I wish I had developed, and she pulls it off with style. EnnVee had quelled a bunch of my concerns right from the start. Granted City Scoop closed soon after I arrived, lol, and I haven't given much thought since then.

Over time, EnnVee and I have develped a friendship (at least on my end, I believe, lol), granted we don't even know much about each other as people, but we do know the personalities conveyed through the text. She's a good-hearted individual and I'm happy she and "Explicit Content" have been there for you to get you through some of life's trials and help you grow.

I'm really looking forward to this piece.

Quite the story.

ok between GK, and Gray, I'm not sure who brought tears to my eyes persay, but thak you both.

To GK:

I never gave you anything that requires being repaid. I merely helped you to see what you have had inside you all along. It just goes to show from your post that you are NOT disabilitated in any way. You may have harder challenges than most to over come, but to see what I have been trying to guide you with over the past few months says you are smarter and stronger than most people I know. You are a gifted young man who has a full and meanful life ahead of him. As I type this I am reminded of many talks we have had, and the ones that stand out the most are the ones where I have been "real" with you and you didn't run and hide from the stern though needed advice I gave you. I am proud of you more than you will ever know, and I hope you continue to be yourself, grow, and stand your ground.


To Gray:

My dearest Gray, you and I are most definitely friends. You are a beautiful person, with strength and ambissions I can only hope my daughter grows up with. I am proud to say I can call you my friend. You have a light about you that most women, where I live, lack, you are funny, honest, and most important, intelligent. You may not be a role player in game but your attitude and strengths shine through your toons, as all of us put a little of ourselves into our toons. Our hidden desires, inner courage, or even a hidden darker side lol.


To the community:

I am beside myself right now at the amount of kind words I have recieved here tonight and thank you all so much. I know it has been said many times, but this is truely the best forum on the boards here. So many people with all such different lives, helping, guiding, and even teaching each other. I feel blessed and lucky to be a part of the group and thank you all more than you will ever know for including me in events, random acts of kindness, and most of all just getting to know me no matter how big or small the level of knowledge may be.

Thanks a lot EnnVee now I'm crying too.

Wait? The City Scoop closed?! When did that happen?

Limbo? That is so gay...

I've never been one to get involved in online communities, but this branch of the forum is an exception. It seems to be a magnet for good well meaning people. It makes my day to come on here and see the nice things folks do for each other. It serves as a reminder to me that no matter how crazy the world seems to be becoming at its core there are still good folks out there doing good things.

As someone who had a past similar to you, GK, I'm glad you found a friend that you can finally feel at peace with. It's only through the support of people around you, that one can finally start to overcome the burden upon their shoulders.

I am familiar with this process and I hope that you can continue to make headway for a long time to come.

Let's all be gay together. Ready? GIANT HUG.