Read: A Parting Gift
Howdy, homies.
Given my current situation, it's become clear that I am no longer able to expend the time and energy on this site that is necessary to properly engage in it. I intend to spend the next 13-14 months working as hard as I can on content creation for Twitch and YouTube (unless something goes wrong and I have to go on hiatus again, but let's hope for the best).
I've been making crappy videos for longer than I can remember. From an early age, almost everything I did on my computer was accompanied by a YouTube video on a second monitor or device. Now that I've taken a gap year, I have all the resources, experience, and knowledge that I could reasonably hope for. I have the opportunity to seize the target of my ambition, and, no matter how cringe it may be, I intend to take it.
Trying to get into esports in both StarCraft II and Valorant has taught me the value of preparing for failure and stifling expectations. I have a backup plan and I don't expect fame to come easily. Many will tell you that aiming for success is a bad idea, and, in all honesty, they're right. People just getting into esports or content creation should do it because they enjoy it and keep success as only a pipe-dream until you have some degree of certainty that you can achieve it.
I hope that I have contributed to this community in even a fraction of the way you have all enriched my life for the time I was here. You have all helped make me a much better debater than I thought possible. DART was enjoyable in a way in-person debating could never be. DART gives an unparalleled ability to focus on the arguments instead of focusing on my speaking ability. I truly don't think my partner and I could have become the best debate team in Peel region for several tournaments without all of you tempering my reasoning and speaking skills. If I have debated against you, I owe you my thanks for helping me.
Some notes to individual users:
- Bones, Jeff Goldblum, Intelligence_06, Undefeatable, and Sum1hugme: Thank you for the wonderful debates! More than anyone, you guys helped me learn and made my time here so much more than worthwhile.
- RMM: I can't tell if you're a narcissist or a living example of the backfire effect or what, but the style and conviction with which you write is admirable nonetheless. I aspire to emulate even half the energy you put in to every single speech.
- Novice: I am a transgender lesbian :)
- Mods: Thanks for keeping this place in check. You guys really are the unsung heroes.
There have been many debates that I lost not because of any fault in my logic, but because I forfeit (a deity does not exist), was voted against by a single, biased voter (social media checks), or made some silly mistake (belt and road initiative), but none of that matters. Yes, it made me mad at the time, but I came back after my initial absence to have fun and expand my ability to argue and write. To quote Northop Frye: "There is no such thing as a bad idea waiting for the right words."
This site shouldn't be a dick measuring contest. It shouldn't be an ego boost that allows you to feel like an intellectual. This site thrives when people use it because they want to see new perspectives, learn to argue their opinions better, discover new things, and to constantly scrutinize their beliefs to make sure they can look back on life and say that the causes they fought for were righteous and worthwhile (or at least that there was no way for you to know otherwise at the time). Not that you simply did not question what you thought you knew and hoped it was correct.
I apologize if I sound condescending or like I'm trying to lecture anyone. I suppose the nature of this post means it's only natural, but I nonetheless have never seen the value of being an asshole, so I hope I don't come off that way.
I wish you all the best. Thank you for all the ways you have enriched my life and for the amazing, thought-provoking debates! I'm sure you'll all blow me away with your argumentative abilities whenever I come back.
I'll see you all in a year's time, hopefully. Don't miss me too much, haha. I might lurk or post on the forum every now and again.
Later, nerds.
