My Contribution to Ep----------

I came on EP with no manual, no instructions and no friends to tell me how to mingle.  I know this may come naturally to many, but it does not for me.

I felt as though I was thrown into the deep end of the pool with no *safety* net.

When I encountered a few hiccups on EP, I tried handling the issues by myself.

When it got worse along the way, I was advised to seek help from an EP staff by a concerned member. I was hesitant.

I looked at my circle of friends and I remembered clearly the blurred avatar of a group of EP support welcoming me when I first became a member.

I stared at it for a while and came to the conclusion that I did not want all of them to handle my simple queries.

I searched and watched the site closely. I started reading the stories, comments and blogs.

I came across her avatar and name. EPArsineh.  I was very happy.  It felt like I have discovered a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

I read her comments online and I read her stories too.

I sent her my first email and got a response apologising for the delay.

Her reply was very formal and to the point. I sent another one.  Her second was extremely encouraging.

Then I send many more.

Her emails were friendly but not familiar.

I was very impressed.

She wrote very clearly and with such maturity that I had to take another look at her avatar.

She guided others including me through EP land.

I read again on EP and I found many more EP admin staff who was *on duty*.  I pictured them as a moderator in a forum.  I smiled and wondered if they were also overwhelmed by emails from new members, like me or even worse- matured and pampered ones, like me too 

I am of the opinion that we take a lot of things for granted these days.

We are too busy with our lives to remember people, to praise them, to acknowledge, to comfort and to thank those who had been here for us in times of difficulty.

This is my contribution--A BIG THANK YOU.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the EP Team, especially EP Arsineh, for all the advice and the encouraging words she had given me, to make me log on at least 5 times a day- every day on EP land to be amongst friends.

CallasLily