Re: Disappointed... or something
I hope you are not trolling because that is one thing that isn't tolerated by the group.<br /><br /><br />It is noteworthy that we consist of 61,074 members. We should expect a lot of differences: a mixture of all kinds of opinions, backgrounds, economic levels, cultural levels, educational levels, professional interest, value systems, religious beliefs, and nationalities. There are so many of us around the world that the sun probably never sets on the I-Boats forum. <br /><br />It is that diversity that makes this place so interesting. I haven't spent the three years monitoring this post to find people who have the same likes or dislikes that I have. I come here to probe the minds of this great pool of opinionated people because of our diversity. I want... NO, I need to get opinions different from mine so as to challenge my thinking. I tend not to impose my opinion as you can see by the number of post I have made over the past three years. Most often others have stated an opinion that reflects my thougths before I have a chance to comment. <br /><br />It is that diversity that makes this such a rich forum: <br /><br />Are there gays that come here? Yes!<br />Are there rednecks that come here? Yes!<br />Are there narrow-minded, offensive, in-your-face people who come here? Yes!<br />Are they bullys that try to demand their values are the only correct values in the universe? Yes, lots of them.<br />Are there people who sincerely care and want to give advice to those in need? Yes, a great many!<br />Are there brilliant minds that can help us when we have a problem? Yes, and that is what it is all about!<br />Are the folks at I-boat exceedingly generous for providing this forum for us? You can bet your bottom dollar!<br /><br /><br />I have a nice job here in Madrid, Spain. I am the director of studies for 38 different private schools that specialize in teaching languages. I hire and fire teachers that teach English, German, French, Arabic, Italian, and Portuguese. My teachers have at least an Masters degree and many have Doctorates. About half are gay. I evaluate the professional performance of each teacher based on how they do their job. I don't care what their sexual preference is -- it doesn't come into question. If a heterosexual teacher should wave a banner stating their sexual preference I would regard that as inappropriate behavior; same goes for the gays. Sex and sexual preferences are private matters to be enjoyed in the confines of ones private life. I would fire a teacher who brought sex into the work environment no matter if it is heterosexual or gay -- it's personal and has no place in the professional environment I create -- those are my standards and I include it in the teachers rules during their indoctrination. Every thing has it's place and time in life.<br /><br />Now, I'm about to get off my soap box, but before I do I want to share an fable that is told in the middle east just like the fables of Paul Bunyan, or Brer Rabbit, or whatever you heard about when you were at your grandmother's knee.<br /><br />I think it sums up the point I would like to close with. Here it goes:<br /><br />There once was an aged grandfather sitting at an oasis with his grandson when a caravan arrived. The caravan stopped to water their camels and the caravan leader commented to the grandfather while nodding with his head.<br /><br />"I hear that this village and oasis is populated with the kindest and most geneous people you could ever meet".<br /><br />The grandfather replied, "That's right, wonderful people". <br /><br />The grandson observed.<br /><br />Soon the caravan left and not long afterward another caravan arrived and the leader of the second caravan said to the grandfather: "I hear that the most stingy, evil, vile people live here in this village at this oasis and one is apt to be robbed if they linger here."<br /><br />The grandfather replied,"That's correct, horrible people!".<br /><br />When the last caravan left the grandson said, "Grandfather, I don't understand. You told the first caravan that wonderful people live here; yet you told the second caravan that evil people live here. How can that be?"<br /><br />The grandfather said to his grandson "People always find what they are looking for. If they look for the bad then that is what they will find, but if they looking for the good then that is what they will find."<br /><br /><br />So, you have probably found what you have been looking for. But I hope you can raise you eyes and look beyond that and find another horizon here at I-Boats. I'm confident that you will be acccepted, helped and richly rewarded.
<br /><br />You see, you're not the only minority 'round here Comet Traveler.
