Re: the Official Nikki Nova thread
As many may have detected, I'm feeling very serious all of a sudden. As the day has progressed, I have only become more serious. I wanted to pop in and share a few words of advice, but then something else came to my attention, so there is so much more that I have to share with everyone. I'm sorry that this post is so long, but I sincerely hope the seriousness of what I have to share will make reading it worthwhile!
First, though I have already done so on Twitter, I want to extend my sincerest condolences to Nikki on the passing of her very dear friend Robert Elijah Brown Jr better known as Rob Eternal. Not that I need any reminding obviously, hearing that news reminded me just how fragile a gift life truly is and how brief our time on Earth really is. One can be here one minute, and gone the next. It reminded me of the wake up call I received back in October, though I am still here. It further reminded me of the fact that too often people, myself included, go through life assuming that people know how we feel about them (that we love or care for them, etc.), that we so rarely actually take the time to actually let them know. While we waste our lives assuming they know....too often we lose the opportunity to actually let them know....then something happens, and it's too late. I've actually spent much of the afternoon calling family members that I haven't spoken to in years because of differences and drifting apart. I still loved them, but I had differences with them, and we lost contact. Life is too short....I let them know that I still truly loved them and I was willing to let bygones be bygones & I didn't want to lose contact with them again (heck, they didn't even have my number anymore). I also want to let everyone on here know that I appreciate their friendship & I want to let Nikki know, though I have only known her since November, I have truly grown fond of her and I truly love and appreciate her as a person. She has really opened my eyes to and exposed me to things that I never would have been exposed to otherwise. She has helped make me a better person & I will be eternally grateful to her! I'm not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination, but she has brought light to some of my darkest days......and she didn't know me from Adam at the time! I think may of you already know this to varying degrees, but the world is truly a better place because it has Nikki in it! I've only known her for a short time, but I consider her a dear friend in the truest sense of the word! I would encourage everyone to take a little time today and everyday to let people know how much you love and care for them! Like I said, often it is implied, but everyone likes to hear it too! You might think it can wait until tomorrow.....but remember, in life there are no guarantees! Tomorrow may never come!
Secondly, here is a piece of wisdom that I had originally planned on sharing man to man with all of the guys in here. In the brief time I have known Nikki, I have found her to be a uniquely beautiful, talented, intelligent, caring, capable, able, confident, knowledgeable (well you get the point...there is no shortage of adjectives to describe her) person. With that in mind, I would never begin to think of Nikki as being helpless or a damsel in distress. Am I intelligent? I'd like to think so. Are there things that Nikki is FAR more knowledgeable about than I am? Heck yeah....plenty of things! Does she know far more about health and natural medicine than virtually anyone else in here!?!? YES!!! So, if I know she is sick or something......I'll tell her that I hope she gets to feeling better & I leave it at that BECAUSE....she obviously knows more about wellness than I do! Remember, wishing someone well is enough most of the time! Does Nikki have more practical experience with computers and the internet and all of the intricacies therein than I or most everyone else in here does? YES again!!! Heck, she works with it on virtually a daily basis for a living! These are just two examples....I could go on! Remember, though I know most everyone that does this means well.....it really is demeaning when you think about it. Many people have said that they find Nikki to be very intelligent, but then when something happens, they seem to feel the need to ride in to the rescue as if Nikki is some brainless damsel in distress. I can't speak for Nikki, and I wouldn't begin to try, but I know that I would be more than a bit insulted if I were treated as if I couldn't figure out how to handle a basic problem. If I say I am sick, I am stating a fact....not seeking advice. I can figure out to go to a doctor & to eat chicken soup and drink orange juice on my own thank you! I know Nikki is more than capable of doing that too! If I am seeking advice on something however, I explicitly state that fact. I know Nikki is a straight shooter too....if she REALLY wants advice about something, she will/would come right out and ask for it! When we treat her like she is helpless, we do her a great disservice IMHO!
I'm not signaling anyone out....just giving my opinion based on observations that I have made in the past, and giving everyone a little something to think about in the future!
Nikki is a very capable and highly intelligent person.....thus, she rarely needs someone to be her white knight to come to her rescue! She is more than capable of solving most problems out on her own & when she can't, she is the kind of person who will come right out and ask for advice! Remember, saying that you think someone is intelligent is one thing, but treating them like you think they are is too often something all together different!
I hope everything takes everything that I have shared constructively and to heart! It will only serve to make you better people too!
Have a nice week everyone & be sure to take the time to let someone know how much you love and appreciate them! Remember, nobody is a mind reader!
ps. jitna, in reference to the last passage of mine that you quoted, I was 99.9% sure you were the one who had broached that subject....but I was on my iPhone at the time, and it is a pain to read the other passages when you active the post field. So, I just generically touched on it. I'm glad to see that I had remembered correctly anyway.....just wasn't sure enough to post something inaccurate. Finally, never feel the need to hide your intelligent side....always feel free to allow it to shine!
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