Dear Minecraft Middle Earth,
I want to take a second to thank everyone. The year from hell is coming to an end (finally) and I'm a year older - so naturally I've been in a retrospective mood. Nearly four years ago I joined this server. I had a crappy HP laptop that couldn't even handle Lothlorien, I had no idea what resource packs even were, and I joined because I had been watching the Jesse Cox tours on repeat for the better part of six months. My family moved, I was having a hard time adjusting in 'real life', I got an upgrade and so I became more active. I won't lie, the server was fairly dead at the time. The amount of people and the level of activity I see on here amaze me every time I log on now. No matter, that summer I would stay on for hours every single day. I met some of my closest friends to this day that summer: Gary_Baggins, TI_020601, and mapthor. It took me forever to get Commoner and not very long after, I was promoted to guide after giving a very sudden, nervous tour of Edoras (thanks to Mando and Smaug). My intention was to become an Enforcer but I fell in love with being a Guide as the months passed. Through multiple Valar, the guides created their own community - a friend group - that I loved being part of. Eventually, however, I knew it was time to move on. I applied for Enforcer and was promoted. It would be unfair to leave out I had a lot of help from my friends in staff.
I was an Enforcer for a long time and as one, I saw the rise and fall of many people through the ranks. I remember BWOT as an Artist (and probably saw his application if I think about it enough), I can think back to the Foreman rank being reintroduced to MCME, I've been privileged to 'serve' (as it sometimes feels) under two head enforcers/moderators and more head guides than I can remember. I made a ton more friends, including some newer close ones like Super and Soarz. I knew it was time to return to the Guides when the Enforcer rank was transformed into the Moderator badge we know and love today. I can't say it's always been easy or fun (I have fond memories of crying after many an argument in my time as a staff member). We've been through a lot, especially the Guides, but some things never change. The way I can't accept diagonal builds, the way Lindolas and I greet each other when we happen upon playing at the same time, jumping around whatever new builds Andrew has, the rank wars, typing the same five things when someone new joins - but it's those things that make me stay. Those things make up our community. I wouldn't change any of it. They 'physical' aspect of MCME might be just a game, but there's a personal aspect to. Those friends, this community, the fights and drama; all of it has changed me just a little. My years as a Guide have taught me patience, Enforcer taught me how to solve problems/moderate in other places, the hardship those ranks suffered taught me how to weather the storm. I won't pretend I'm much more learned now and that MCME has done some spectacular transformation on my personality - I'm still blunt, stubborn, and I've got tunnel-vision sometimes. I also won't, however, pretend MCME doesn't mean a great deal to me. If I'm being honest, I haven't really got friends in my 'real life'. There are people I know and go to school or work with, and yeah we talk if it's necessary or if either one of us needs things, but there's no one here [my hometown] I call when something stupid happens or I've got a good idea or I'm five minutes and a sad song away from crying my eyes out. That's when I hop on a voice chat or @ my friends or post a meme in #off-topic.
Wow, I'm sitting back now after typing this in one sitting. It's my MCME story. And it definitely looks like a resignation/I'm leaving post. It's not. I have a healthy fear that I'll be on MCME for a long time to come - as long as the server will have me (and my freaking internet will work). I wanted to post this on my page to not make a big deal but apparently there's a character limit of 420 (nice) and this is about double that in words alone. I'll just post it here then for everyone to see. Maybe when a few years pass and I need a reason to keep logging on, I'll read this again and remember what makes this place so great. The point is, it's been a long time (especially this long, horrid year) but MCME has always been there. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you everyone who makes this server what it is.
Thank you,
awaywind (Guide, Moderator)
I want to take a second to thank everyone. The year from hell is coming to an end (finally) and I'm a year older - so naturally I've been in a retrospective mood. Nearly four years ago I joined this server. I had a crappy HP laptop that couldn't even handle Lothlorien, I had no idea what resource packs even were, and I joined because I had been watching the Jesse Cox tours on repeat for the better part of six months. My family moved, I was having a hard time adjusting in 'real life', I got an upgrade and so I became more active. I won't lie, the server was fairly dead at the time. The amount of people and the level of activity I see on here amaze me every time I log on now. No matter, that summer I would stay on for hours every single day. I met some of my closest friends to this day that summer: Gary_Baggins, TI_020601, and mapthor. It took me forever to get Commoner and not very long after, I was promoted to guide after giving a very sudden, nervous tour of Edoras (thanks to Mando and Smaug). My intention was to become an Enforcer but I fell in love with being a Guide as the months passed. Through multiple Valar, the guides created their own community - a friend group - that I loved being part of. Eventually, however, I knew it was time to move on. I applied for Enforcer and was promoted. It would be unfair to leave out I had a lot of help from my friends in staff.
I was an Enforcer for a long time and as one, I saw the rise and fall of many people through the ranks. I remember BWOT as an Artist (and probably saw his application if I think about it enough), I can think back to the Foreman rank being reintroduced to MCME, I've been privileged to 'serve' (as it sometimes feels) under two head enforcers/moderators and more head guides than I can remember. I made a ton more friends, including some newer close ones like Super and Soarz. I knew it was time to return to the Guides when the Enforcer rank was transformed into the Moderator badge we know and love today. I can't say it's always been easy or fun (I have fond memories of crying after many an argument in my time as a staff member). We've been through a lot, especially the Guides, but some things never change. The way I can't accept diagonal builds, the way Lindolas and I greet each other when we happen upon playing at the same time, jumping around whatever new builds Andrew has, the rank wars, typing the same five things when someone new joins - but it's those things that make me stay. Those things make up our community. I wouldn't change any of it. They 'physical' aspect of MCME might be just a game, but there's a personal aspect to. Those friends, this community, the fights and drama; all of it has changed me just a little. My years as a Guide have taught me patience, Enforcer taught me how to solve problems/moderate in other places, the hardship those ranks suffered taught me how to weather the storm. I won't pretend I'm much more learned now and that MCME has done some spectacular transformation on my personality - I'm still blunt, stubborn, and I've got tunnel-vision sometimes. I also won't, however, pretend MCME doesn't mean a great deal to me. If I'm being honest, I haven't really got friends in my 'real life'. There are people I know and go to school or work with, and yeah we talk if it's necessary or if either one of us needs things, but there's no one here [my hometown] I call when something stupid happens or I've got a good idea or I'm five minutes and a sad song away from crying my eyes out. That's when I hop on a voice chat or @ my friends or post a meme in #off-topic.
Wow, I'm sitting back now after typing this in one sitting. It's my MCME story. And it definitely looks like a resignation/I'm leaving post. It's not. I have a healthy fear that I'll be on MCME for a long time to come - as long as the server will have me (and my freaking internet will work). I wanted to post this on my page to not make a big deal but apparently there's a character limit of 420 (nice) and this is about double that in words alone. I'll just post it here then for everyone to see. Maybe when a few years pass and I need a reason to keep logging on, I'll read this again and remember what makes this place so great. The point is, it's been a long time (especially this long, horrid year) but MCME has always been there. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you everyone who makes this server what it is.
Thank you,
awaywind (Guide, Moderator)