Friends on HF........

[mbiraman]

"If you're gonna have friends,it's gonna cost you." Townes VanZandt

Thanks Dave for mentioning Townes. Reminded me of a good neighbor and friend i lost 10 yrs ago.

bill

[Shug]

You folks are all my Friends)))))))
Thanks for all the responses......interesting to read.
Shug

[Shug]

Friends, the people other than family that cost you the most grief. i have met some really great people on here that i would like to and that i do call my friends. Granger from La, Cavemand from texas, Spaceweasel from Tx. Tncamper from Tn. the list goes on. I dont know if they feel the same way i hope so but never really know. I joined this forum after hearing you talk about it on all the viedoes and since than have had a postive experance dealing with everyone here. as it stands right now in the future i plan to make the trip up to the great white north to hang with you. ill evan bring a can of squid parts in ink sause. Threw all my years on this earth and the many places i have been i have made many friends and unfountnaly lost many along the road of life. its who we are as a people and the choices we make on the road. I will take all the friends i can find, dig up, pester. it only inriches my life to learn from them. The cost of doing so i am willing to pay.

Cool! I will need Hickery with me to eat the Squid in ink for sure. Maybe best noshed in the Gorge.
Glad you found your way here through my video palaver.

[Mikeinajeep]

Shug, I think friends is the wrong word for this place. You are the rock star of the group and everybody knows you but for the most part the rest of us are just working stiffs. I looked up "camping stoves" on youtube last year and found your videos. Now my son calls you unlce Shug and asks everyday if there is a video. I have hammocks,tarp,bug nets and whoopies sling all thanks to you. But I think friends help each other and I don't believe I have really added anything to your life, maybe we should use a new term,,,, not followers but students maybe. I don't know but I don't think I've earned "friend"!

[MAD777]

I suppose we all came here looking for information on hammock camping. That keeps us here for a while until we learn enough to go do it. However, the ones that stay, have recognized the much larger value of these forums. That is the bonds between the people.

I don't know what the friend designation in the forum software means, but I surely do know what it means when sitting around a campfire with them, thanks to this forum.

That can be a virtual campfire as well, as I read the posting of a campfire located 1000's of miles away, I know what the smoke smells like and I know what the banter sounds like and I know what the camaraderie feels like.

My prayers include members who are suffering through the trials of life. My heart melts when I see their small children bundled up in a hammock next to their parents.

I don't need the software to tell me that I have friends here.

[Loki]

I think people come to a forum excited about something new. A passion is ignited and they can't get enough; but in time they get well-grounded and they visit less frequently. I think it has to do with the way topics are frequently recycled to serve the next new group of newbies! Of course some of us will move on to different interests; having said that, friends on a forum are the same as friends in real life, if a man has enough true friends in his life to count on one hand then he's truly blessed; many acquaintances but few true friends. And if you'll allow a bit of my cynicism; I think the younger generation is losing their understanding of friendship and loyalty; to make my point one take a look at peoples friends list on facebook. Some (perhaps many) will argue with me that you can have true friendships with 500+ people on your friends list but I'll argue that it's challenging to give your one or two true friends the time and attention they deserve. I think there's a real value to contemporary social media but the downside may be far more significant than we realize. I tend to believe that friendship involves some face time and shared experiences; and I’m not talking about face time on an ipad! Still I value the relationships I’ve established with some members and I respect all of the members. I have come to enjoy my time with some of the members that I’ve had the chance to hang with on group hangs in Missouri. Some of the core group have been on about 4 hangs together now; I still don’t feel like I really know them that well but when the hang is over and I’m driving home, I can’t help but miss them and I’m already looking forward to the next hang; I think that’s the beginning of friendship!

+1 Well said Gideon

[nothermark]

I do not get the whole *friend* thing. I don't need to get somebody's permission to read their post so why would I bother? OTOH I expect I will hit some group activities as my body permits and that might lead to finding some real friends.

[oldgringo]

*shrug* I just take a friend request as a compliment. That is what I intend when I issue one.

[Dead Man]

Shug, I think friends is the wrong word for this place. You are the rock star of the group and everybody knows you but for the most part the rest of us are just working stiffs. I looked up "camping stoves" on youtube last year and found your videos. Now my son calls you unlce Shug and asks everyday if there is a video. I have hammocks,tarp,bug nets and whoopies sling all thanks to you. But I think friends help each other and I don't believe I have really added anything to your life, maybe we should use a new term,,,, not followers but students maybe. I don't know but I don't think I've earned "friend"!

Sensei Shug has an interesting ring to it. Just please no videos in the canvas diaper the sumo wrestlers use. That would be a video career killer.

[BackPackHiker]

Maybe they will be back. I know I can go a month without posting because life just got that busy. I think they always come back. Or you could just bombard the with private messages until they respond, I know mine gets forwarded to my personal email...