What does this board mean to you?
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What does this board mean to you?
| Thu, 04-01-2010 - 1:41pm |
I thought I'd ask exactly what this board means to you personally.
To some of you it's just a place you lurk and/or get information. To others it's a haven where you seek friendship

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This board has come to mean a lot to me actually. I've been using message boards for over 10 years to help me work through a lot of life's problems. I found my first message board as a 19 year old pregnant teenager. I had nowhere to turn. There wasn't much information or resources out there for someone in my situation so I must have done a search and I found the Parents Place Teen Pregnancy board (Parents Place eventually became iVillage). That board filled with other teen moms and older moms that gave advice was my literal lifesaver during those difficult months. Since then I've dabbled in many different boards, but none have really kept my interest. In October of 2008 I was pretty lost. I was deep in financial distress and I had no one to talk to. My parents were tired of hearing about my money problems and it was distressing them as well. My friends were in completely different situations than I was with good, steady jobs and great incomes. I needed to talk but I had no one. So I went back to my tried and true method of getting through my toughest emotional problems with writing and I found this board.
Over the past year and a half I have gotten to know the regulars on the board and you guys have kind of become a part of my life. Whenever I have a problem that needs some thought, some differing opinions, some suggestions...I come here. I even talk about you guys to my friends and family. I'll say things like, 'One of my friends on my debt support group is going through this...' or, 'I ran this by my Debt Support Group and they think that...' It's kind of funny how a group of online people that you've never met before can become like friends. I know that if we all met in a social setting, we'd probably get along famously!
Abbie
The board to me is my sanity.
Norma
"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus
This board means quite a bit to me.
My friends and family in real world don't really understand my problems or how I obsess on them, nor do they have any answers to the questions I ask. People seem to understand here, have a real solution to the problem or another avenue to explore.
I often catch myself when I go to buy something, or pay something about what you all would think or do. There are so many different age groups and life stages on here to pull ideas from. Its like knowing a nurse in real life when you have a rash and need to ask someone what to put on it LOL! I know Bex probably knows the answer to my investment question and Mary Ann knows a-z about credit cards. There are lots of divorced people on here too, like me and they feel your pain or maybe have a suggestion for you.
Also, a big part of my debt reduction was finding some peace in my head. I find telling new people what I have learned and how I have coped has given me some mental happy thoughts because I know I was a mess when I first posted. The fact that someone/anyone is listening and will post back, even just a short note makes it less lonely and comforting.
I really like all you guys! Even when you are pissy and confrontational!! Love it!
Oh gosh where to begin! I feel like this board has been my saving grace. I was at rock bottom the night I found this board. I didn't know where to turn, what to do, nothing. I lurked for a couple of days and it just felt right so I poured my heart and story out.
Got so many positive responses and was just overwhelmed with all the ideas every one had. I put all the ideas to good use and now I am credit card free, working on paying off a couple of loans and looking forward to one day having my own house.
I consider all of you my friends and value every opinion I get. It may not be what I want to hear but it is what I needed to hear. I tend to lose focus and every one always brings my focus right back.
I would truly miss every one here if this board wasn't here.
The board has become a group of friends with a common goal who really have great common sense and good attitudes.
This pretty much sums my feelings up:
<< Also, a big part of my debt reduction was finding some peace in my head. I find telling new people what I have learned and how I have coped has given me some mental happy thoughts because I know I was a mess when I first posted. The fact that someone/anyone is listening and will post back, even just a short note makes it less lonely and comforting. >>
My mind goes in circles over & over, faster & faster, obsessing about numbers. This board has given me an outlet that has given me that "peace in my head".
In a seemingly overwhelming situation, it's very empowering to know you're not the only person in the world that is dealing with these kinds of things...especially to know other people have made the same kind of mistakes you've made, that you're too embarrassed to admit to your friends & family.
~ Mom to 5 ~
This board means that I am not alone.
You know, Dave Ramsey says that 7 out of 10 people are living paycheck to paycheck (or was he saying beyond their means?). Do you know that IRL I probably couldn't find 3 people that are willing to fess up that they have no savings and would be up a creek if they lost their job? And IRL I probably couldn't find even one person that would admit they are up to their eyeballs in debt even though again we know that the majority of America has some sort of debt. So while the majority of the country is keeping mum about their financial woes I can log on here every day and find out that no, in fact, I am not the only person that is struggling even though I may feel like it some days lol.
To me this board is a safe haven.
Robyn CL- Debt Support Group
This board has been a critical source of support, encouragement and accountability for me.
It is a great reminder also that I have to be careful and keep learning those lessons of saving and planning so that I don't end up back in debt...I need to have those reminders.
It is a really nice place to visit, get ideas and have a giggle...
I am a really private person and would be mortified if friends and family knew the state of my finances....
You lovely people keep me on track and I thank you...
I wish I could give each of you a hug and bake you all a cake...
Duke
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