Komatteru
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Joseiteki
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« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2006, 10:13:25 pm » |
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Dearest Ryan,
I can only hope that you get a chance to read this message before you leave.
In the Fall of 2005, there was a person I had been casually conversing with about Magic here and there. Some of our conversations were a little strange here and there, as one time he asked me if I was going to watch a particular wrestling match. He seemed a little surprised when I conveyed that I believed wrestling to a large waste of time and money. Given that I had never mentioned wrestling ever, it seemed a little out of the blue, and I ended up shrugging it off as one of those things that happens when you talk to people you've never actually met over AIM. He also mentioned various things about the Magic League, which I also thought was pretty stange, but didn't ultimately think much of. Perhaps I should have taken all these things as a sign that there might have been a case of mistaken identity occuring.
On Octobter 13, 2005, he messaged me with a "yo Ryan..," and was rather shocked to discover that I was not, in fact, Ryan Thomas. This led to an investigation. The only information I had was that someone named Ryan Thomas had been going by the name "JDizzle" on the Magic League at one point, and was playing Vintage under this name as well, which created quite a bit of confusion for those involved. I stormed over to the IRC channel for the Magic Leauge, and was tossed out by one of the less-than-friendly operators who declared that there "is only one JDizzle." I thought only to myself that that statement was correct, but he was mistaken about who "the" JDizzle actually is.
After somewhat irate email later, that day was the day you came into my life. At the time, I was somewhat iritated that someone would apparently impersonate me--especially since the name Ryan Thomas bears no resemblance to "JDizzle" (while it's based on my initials)--but flattered at the same time. I've always tried not to jump to conclusions before I've gathered all the information, and never to rule out "redemption." After you "repented," I decided to give you a chance at friendship, and see who the person it was who had impersonated me.
I am glad to have met you. People who impersonate others on the internet strike me as childish and I was a little worried about what I might find myself in with such an encounter. What I found was not someone who is childish or full of himself as I might have expected. I found someone who was willing to analyze situations and, when unsure about the best option, ask for advise when the situation warranted careful resolution. I suppose in some respects I thought of you as a student of mine (of sorts), in both Magic and life. A teacher always wants to see his students grow beyond simple regurgitation of whatever the teacher says, and I can say that you displayed a lot of independent thought, as evidenced some of your threads in the closed forum. The fact that you were even attempting to stimulate discussion in a forum that even the site's longest participants have forgotten exists is a testament to your willingness to reach out to unfamilar waters.
I will be disappointed if someday our paths do not cross again, that if September 24, 2006 is the day you went out of my life forever. I wish you only the best of luck in your future encounters, and ask you only to proceed with the same diligence and carefulness you have displayed in the past, regardless of the apparent difficulty of the situations you face.
-JD
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