The Virtue of Conviviality

I meant to make a thread about this last week but life caught up with me.

As you all know I had been traveling for the last few months.  In one of my check-ins I mentioned my hometown of San Carlos.  That mention resulted in an email to me from Prakash.  Turns out he lives in San Carlos too.

We made plans to meet when I returned and we did two weekends ago at the local Peets.  We sat (Prakash, his wife Roopa and I) and talked about the Celtics and a little bit about our lives that have made us the people we are today.  It was a very pleasant meeting and I enjoyed both of them very much.

I am posting this not just to thank Prakash for reaching out to me and starting the conversation but to extol the virtue of Conviviality, a requirement for being a member of this board as laid down by our founder Slippery Sam himself.  This meeting would never have happened back in the bad ol' BDC days because everybody was trying to yell over each other, because raising your voice makes you more correct, right?  Nah.  It just means you're wrong at the top of your voice.

We can disagree here, this isn't a cult (well, except maybe to Red) but we disagree agreeably, and out of courteous debate can come respect.  Respect is earned and, once earned, can grow into friendship.  Steve3344 and Cowens are good, off-the-board friends of mine now (do not be fooled by my interplay with Cowens.  We like to bust each other's cojones but we are good friends and actually enjoy the same old school smashmouth basketball style, which I guess reveals itself in my more pugnacious posts).  BobC and I are Facebook friends and exchange posts.  I've had numerous telephone conversations with other members of this board (after 25+ years in sales and sales management I have developed a bit of a phone allergy, so getting me to stay on the phone for any amount of time isn't easy).  I've met many of the posters on this board on trips back to Boston, some of which were primarily to go to Celtic games with those board members.  DBoss ran a regular Zoom meeting with board members where we got to talk and even see each other.  I did the El Camino de Santiago with Worcester in 2016, an almost 160 mile walk in 13 days, and I stayed with him in his home in Florida to help him in his crusade to find sunken treasure in the Gulf.  So when I say that posting here as if you were sitting across the table from them and not just some anonymous user can add to your life I'm not talking about some mythical pot of gold, it is quite real.  All of the above, both the named and unnamed, were completely unknown strangers to me before this board.

That's all.  I just wanted to say thank you to Prakash and Roopa and to let everybody know that being a good person online can deliver real life value too.


Bob


.

Well said Bob. The fact that many of us have met in person really makes a difference. I hope someday to have the opportunity to meet those who are regular posters now but I haven’t met.

Agree with you Bob. I have been around a long time, made a lot of on line friends, have talked to some on the phone, but, will never forget the guy who drew us all together, Sam, and the one in your avatar, Jeb. We had a great on line relationship. I have only met with some of you once, most of the time I was otherwise occupied in either Newton/Wellesley Hospital or Mass General!! That one meeting was one I won't ever forget. As we age, it is these type of friendships or relationships that we tend to appreciate. So, you are certainly right on with your post

Bob, it was wonderful to meet you.  Roopa and I enjoyed the conversation.  We have never been to a game in Boston and it is on our bucket list.  And also to meet folks here in person as an when the opportunity permits (dboss will be contacted before the next Atlanta visit).

I came here from a a different board where I got bummed when political leanings and such tainted the way people would address each other (and I confess that I got into it too).  This is a pleasant place and where people are mostly polite and it is fun to yank at a chain or two once in a while.    

Great post Bob!

Pete