Well, friends, this is a huge topic, but there is one thing I particularly
like and that is this: I keep old BEE-L messages and read them over
sometimes, just for fun when I need an idea or a chuckle. Sometimes, I'll
even do an archive search, since I don't keep BEE-L messages for more than a
year or so back.
Whether on my computer, or in the archives, I can sort by author and read a
whole series of posts and get to know each writer. I learn how well read
and/or experienced each person is and how logical, honest and consistent as
well. It is fascinating to see how different people respond to challenges
and how some learn and develop, and some, apparently, do not. It is also
interesting to speculate what motivates each writer. Obviously, we are not
all the same, and our objectives are at times wildly divergent. What we do
have in common is that we all have bees or work with them, but that is about
it.
For me, personally, BEE-L has been a journey of self-discovery, a chance to
consult and debate with people with a common interest. As a result BEE-L,
I have friends all over the world I may never have met otherwise. BEE-L has
also made me into a far better beekeeper than I would have been on my own,
and probably a better human being -- although some may dispute that last
point.
For self analysis, there is nothing more humbling than reading a decade of
your own writing. For those who have not tried this, I recommend it highly.
Just go to http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l and search by
your own email address in the "author's address" box, without entering
anything in the other boxes. And -- also -- some may wish to read back over
the most recent debate here at
http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/archives/bee-l.html, sort by author, and
trace the comments of each.
I find it fascinating -- and illuminating.
allen
The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken
seriously.
-- Hubert H. Humphrey
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---
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