I’ve been here since April 1998 , so I’m obviously a retread. When I first joined FR, I rarely posted because I was so intimidated by many of the great minds here. Over the years, I timidly ventured forward into the debates and learned how to organize my thoughts into a cogent argument instead of resorting to my usual emotional responses. I’ve learned so much from this site and it’s still the first place I go to get my daily news fix.
You sound like I was. Many a brilliant minds have come and gone through the years. The Freeper wall of Fame is full of them. Many were good friends, and I tear up sometimes thinking of them.