[at-l] Ruck (was NO TV/VCR)

[DaRedhead@aol.com (DaRedhead@aol.com)]

In a message dated 1/11/02 5:21:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time, 
ellen@clinic.net writes:


> Someone has urged me to attend the PARuck. If you promise to occasionally 
> talk
> 

I've said this to a few others who have indicated that they could and would 
come to the Ruck "except" <insert reason here>.  I just want to clarify a few 
things about the Ruck.  I've seen people there that had issues w/ each other, 
either on list or off - and they all had a great time anyway.  I'd venture to 
say that meeting face to face takes a lot of the sting out of misinterpreted 
- or even correctly interpreted - email posts.  That is perhaps why so many 
listers can disagree about things, sometimes even (gasp) with a vengeance on 
the list, and yet remain friends.  When it's live, in person, as opposed to 
on an email list, it's just different.  And getting to know someone in real 
life makes it a lot easier to communicate when you get back to the list.

It is a weekend about hiking, and love of hiking, checking out gear, talking 
trail, telling tall tales, good natured contests, helping soon to be thru 
hikers with their many questions, commiserating with other hikers whose 
significant other doesn't understand, food, laughs, and on and on.  Each 
"official" hiker event has a part where prospective thru hikers get to quiz 
former thru hikers.  It is usually scheduled for an hour.  Imagine how much 
more info those prospective hikers can get spending an informal weekend with 
a bunch of formers.

Maybe you'd find that people you think are total idiots are actually not.  
Maybe you'd find that people you agree with on the list are.  How are you 
going to know unless you show up where a lot of those people will be? :)  The 
point is - we've never had a fist fight yet, or had someone go away saying 
"Damn, I shouldn't have gone to The Ruck."

There's something to be said about that.

Red


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