Good Morning. Looks as though Murray has, as usual, taken care of business and removed a tumor. Well done, as always. You know, there has been a lot of chatter here lately about behavior and what is or is not acceptable. I am always supportive of discourse and I wanted to take a moment to speak on a serious note to all of you.
Over the last couple of years, this Board has seen many changes. As we all know, change is a constant in our world. Those that find they are unable to adapt to change inevitably will succumb to its dynamic. Such is life. We all evolve or we fade away. There have been a lot of very good and very bad members that have "moved on" and are no longer with us. That is a fact. But, more importantly, we have a lot of members that remain. I choose not to lament the loss of those which no longer join us but to embrace those that do.
It is my belief that each and every member offers us something. Even those that choose a path of discord. From them we all learn to support one another and the bonds of friendship are strengthened. From those that differ in opinion, we learn alternate points of view. Certainly I do not always agree with everything that is said here but I find that I am much better for the exchanges. Our lives are enriched through the diversity we have here and that means a lot. In my case, many of you shared in a dark point of my life some time ago. You were there from the beginning and there when I emerged from the other side. I will always be thankful that you were there.
Regardless of one's political affiliation, socio-economic situation, religious beliefs or personal views, each and every one of us on this Board share a common interest...Judas Priest. Through this band, we have come together. Through our friendships, we have stayed. For all the talk and griping and accusations and snipes, we stay. And we all make friends. I often lay in bed at night and, as I drift off to sleep, I actually think of you. I picture those I have never seen and try to imagine what you look like. I can see those I have met and I imagine hanging out and talking. I recall those that have made personal efforts to spend time with me. And I smile. Sometimes, I wonder what you're doing at that moment. Are you sleeping? Are you sharing with family? Working? Listening to some Priest? HA!!!!!!
We can say what we will about some of the behavior here. As much as I have always tried to show grace and manners I realize that I am human and I get caught up in the silliness just as anyone else can. We can declare our disgust and leave. We can take shots at one another. We can complain about those that are no longer part of our group. All of this we can do. But we can also share in the unique and widely varied personalities that make up OUR Board today. That's right, OUR Board. It is ours. Yours and mine. We keep coming here because we care. We defend because we care. We argue because we care. We laugh because we care. Most importantly of all........we care.
