Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Message in a Bottle and If You Could Read my Mind

“Just like and old time movie ‘bout a ghost from a wishing well. In a castle dark or a fortress strong, with chains upon my feet..”

I’ve always been more partial to a little Gordon Lighffoot rather than The Police, but here is My Message in a Bottle.”

I’ve been kicking around the empty halls of this place intermittently trendy over the past few months feeling much like Mr Lightfoot’s old time movie ghost.

I know that If You Could Read My Mind is a love song or live story now ended song and I think my relationship with KickAs is and was just that. I greatly suspect and hope it was and is the same for many or all of you.

This place truly saved my soul and in no small way saved my life. I unfortunately only met a dozen or so of you face to face, but loved everyone whoever posted here.

You all made me laugh and cry. You all humbled me with your courage and empathy. If you read here or posted here even a single time then no matter where you are or how you are doing you are KICKAS for life.

Someone wise who I listen to for advice would say suffering wil either make you turn inward and become bitter and closed off or it will make you turn outward and become empathetic and a fully feeling person

This place gave me the haven to let the latter happen. We humans are profoundly complex so we are no singular thing at any time so I have my bitter wallowing days and moments but the core of my, the essence of me, is empathetic and fairly emotionally healthy because of this place

I would love to name by name thank every person who ever posted here or communicated to me in anyway. I would like to apologize to anyone whose posts in moments of trouble I did not respond to.

I can’t thank Dragonslayer, Pete and anyone who dreamed this place up ENOUGH for doing so and the persisting to keep it alive. Sadly it has outlived many a noble ASKICKER.

I hope my message in a bottle over the weeks and months to come finds many companions washed upon these shores.

I hope Linc is still out here somewhere and maybe we meet up somewhere in this scrappy Apple called NYC. I hope if there is an AS kicker or two capable of errantly swinging a golf club, I get to share a walk down a fairway with one or a bunch of you

Mostly I hope you are all well and THANK YOU

PS.

Bruno desperately wanted to chime in. He’s still well. But saw I was discussing the Police and …. well…. enough said

Golf Steve!!! Golf. Am much better at Cricket if you know the game? Age however makes sure I cannot play any sport at all. Wonderful to read your post, you actually didn't know it, but you were a great influence on me. Many are the wise words you posted when I was a little hot under the collar, thank goodness you did.

How old are the threesome now?


Alan

Alan

My young ladies are now quickly closing in on being 23 years old. Two in graduate school, Jamie and Tonimarie, and Juliana looking for work in computer animation.

Maybe I can show her your Askickin’ travel shack and she can turn it into the worldwide phenomenon it should already be.

I miss seeing your posts and knowing how you are doing. You similarly gave me lots to think about and share my amply jaded perspective on the world.

As for golf, I don’t know that anyone would say I can golf. I just do golf to the chagrin of whatever strangers that comprise the foursome I am thrust upon.

As for cricket, I suspect it’s American cousin is baseball and before this demon of AS redefined the me that is me, I was delightfully obsessed with it.

Hey Steve,

Great to see you checking in, I pop in every couple of weeks.

Wow... cannot believe the triplets are 23 now... Mateo will turn 17 in February... so I guess time is flying by. Mateo has last year of high school starting next March... finishes Junior year in early December. He is thinking about physical therapy for now.

Love Gordon Lightfoot... dad had his albums when I was a kid... Sundown, Rainy Day People, Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald and Carefree Highway (this song always makes me think of my dad thanks to opening lines).

AS and work is treating me well... personal life has been a tough one this year. Lost my one brother in June, my father-in-law has cancer since end of last year and is declining again recently. This year did get our 2nd dog couple of weeks ago (Tiki)... a rescue dog that is 4 years old... loves going for walks and having his head or back scratched... very loveable dog.

Best to you and all other Kickers checking in and agree... this place saved me and too many people to thank for that.

Tim

Great to hear about Mateo and so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother and your father in laws battle with cancer. I know the evolution of the internet was one of the things that caused this place to fade away but be I also suspect it was that we all cared about each other so much that we ran out of things to say to comfort the pain that others were experiencing.

I know this place left me feeling like “ my arms were too short” to comfort some of the pain ASKickers were suffering through.

Anyway, I hope Mateo succeeds to become a PT. Anyone who has a father with AS probably brings some special skills to that calling.

My Jamie was a lacrosse player and cross country runner she started down the road to being PT but now seems to be on road to school counselor and maybe a coach.

Glad you stil occasionally haunt these halls.

I’ve been thinking about this place more and more for some odd reason. Lately when I find myself compelled “by some odd reason” Ipursue the scent like some sort of delirious bloodhound.

Anyway, my first response to you here was feeble. My affinity for you and fondness for each and every post you shared here and any communication had between us has been a gift.

I recently have become, for “some odd reason”, particular appreciative of the writings of C.S. Lewis. Maybe because I was a Lord of the Rings J.R. Tolkien fan as a youth and I like the notion of their friendship.

In any event, ( not really sure what that means because some events should be precluded from the any event notion such as dragon jousting or javelin catching)….I digress.

In any event, Lewis had some fabulous insights on friendship or friendships. The one that comes to mind here is


“But two, far from being the necessary number for Friendship, is not even the best. And the reason for this is important. ….In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity, I want other lights than my own to show all his facets…Hence true friendship is the least jealous of loves.. Two friends delight to be joined by a third, and three by a fourth if only the newcomer is qualified to become a real friend. They can then say, as the blessed souls in Dante, ‘Here comes one that will augment our loves.’”

I think that is why this place was so great and helped my soul so much. Many a true friend congregated here. You truly are one as far as I am concerned. I will remain edified by much of what you said or shared here. There is even a better Lewis quote on how powerfully friend edify each other to the heights or turn others into demons.

I think I should rather go find a misplaced Novello written by another quotable soul, an Alan someone or other … I think it was called Going Straight for the Jugular or Going Steaight to the Pub or something akin to that. Not sure where I mislaid it, but am probably in need of some of its medicine