I was reading the "Eye for an Eye, and so it continues" thread on the front page and found myself in tears.
First it was revulsion at the beheading and the fear of war and the shame of what our country is doing. I was on the verge for a few minutes there of running out of my office to throw up.
But then I saw a picture of Ari. I saw posts thanking the person who posted his picture. And I'd like to thank the person who posted it, too. EphemeralNotion is a credit to this community.
But this Diary isn't just about that. Its about what sparked in me when I saw Ari.
I realized after seeing pictures of Ari on Fishyshark, and experiencing this emotional upheaval every time I visit DKos and am disgusted with the world anew, that I almost see the kid as a nephew I've never met. Someone to protect from all this filth.
I realized I maybe work with other DKos members, pass you on the street, eat in some of the same restaurants. When I was reading "Eye for an Eye" thread, I don't mind saying that I was in desperate need of a hug.
Maxomai is the poster who puts up the caption contests. But he/she also put up a great post today entitled "Why I'm not outraged by the situation in Iraq." It was an affirmation of leftism. A statement of perseverence.
I need more of that. I want to know Kossacks in my area. I want faces to put with the nicknames, people I can cry with and encourage and ask for guidance. Human voices to talk to, not just text. Too often, I despair, I feel alone, and I want to give up and apply for citizenship elsewhere, despite posts like Maxomai's today. This is a very loose knit community, and I'd like to make friends here.
I'm going to my first democratic meetup tonight. But the purpose of this diary is to say that this bickering, squabbling bunch of leftist nitpickers is like a family to me. I'd like to know you. Meet you.
I don't know how to go about it, but I'd like to start a DKos meetup. We could read our favorite posts for the week, show off our favorite captioned photos, have dinner and get to know each other.
I'm in Irvine, California. Anyone interested?