A Thank You From Me & Thoughts on DS

[Taeylor Collins]

Okay first of all what I want to say it is very hard to post this because I kind of feel some people will think I am a sap or a loser or a person who has no life and wants to be pittied. However, I have decided to proceed.

I am so happy to finally reach Senior Status.  And you know what the coolest thing about that is??   That I don't regret a minute of the AMAZING time I have spent with you guys these last 2 months. I guess that sounds kind of odd but I have been very ill with a back injury for about 4 years and when your young it can be even more taxing.  My grandmother is now sick at 86 but when she was my age she was a healthy woman.  Thirty year olds are'nt supposed to feel this way.  Finding the boards have sort of been a salvation to me lately as I felt no connection to the outside world.   I get out as much a I can.  I fortunately have good days but the bad ones outweight the good ones' at this point. So thank you for having me, thank you for helping me, and thank you for debating with me.  I thought I knew everything there is to know about backstage stories etc. but I keep finding new stories here and I relish in it.

I got pretty bummed when '04 didn't come to fruition so I stayed away. In saying that~~~ I stayed away the last few years (from the boards & original) because I was just so burnt out and upset over not seeing something as special as DS get the chance it deserves. I love the original and it is great but we need the universe expanded.  I am not saying what DS should be!! However, I feel it is so special it needs some kind of story told ~~through what form I don't know?? Thankfully we  finally have the movie to look forward to with the best male actor of our time attached to it in my humble opinion.  DS is just as artful and alive and beautiful  as Star Trek and look at all the avenues they have explored. I truly hope Deep's movie (whether the original fan's like it or not) finally breaks the DS curse we have had and is a huge success while at the same time being an amazing Dark Shadows experience.  I pray it  give us that Blood Transfusion fandom needs.  The movie can ONLY help to get more things made that are tied to the old show. The Restoration of NODS for example!!    MORE BLOOPERS TAPES , MORE COMPILATIONS FORM MPI, possibly a comic series again.  The ideas are endless!! DS stories need to be told.  I am glad that the original cast is doing the audio dramas!!  What a fabulous way to bring the old series back. 


Well that was some serious rambling.  I hope I didn't come off as cookey but to tell you the truth I am not worrying.  I like being strange and eccentric and I honestly don't think anyone on this board is that hateful anyway.  Everyone here is so friendly and I have been treated with nothing but warmth.  For example: I simply was talking about not having Night of The Iguana and a board member PMed me asking  if I would like them to tape it and send it to me!   I mean how cool is it of someone you have never met physically ,to take their time to be kind to your in that manner??  You all are a bunch of COOL CATS as Buzz would say.     To you I

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being so fun and friendly to me and thanks for brightening my days many times. 

Taeylor

[MagnusTrask]

That was all well-said, Taeylor, and I'm very glad you're able to lose yourself in DS fandom at a time when it's this necessary an escape or emotional release, as it is now, with the health problems.   I know what it's like to need that.   In fact it was at around your age that I was able to lose myself in Doctor Who and some other alternate realities and fandoms, to an extent I hadn't thought possible, because most areas of real life had been closed off to me for medical reasons.

The world today (and then) generally makes you feel guilty or crazy over unapologetic enthusiasm, and throwing yourself into fantasy.   That kind of cynicism is very unhealthy.   What's the point of life at all, if you are made to feel you don't have permission to feel or enjoy things too strongly?

You are a very good guy, Taeylor, and it helps to cheer me up just being within your enthusiasm zone.   Thanks for being here.

[JS]

I agree with what MagnusTrask has said. I also think that it is wonderful to be able to delve into a another world and put those things aside that trouble us, at least for just a little while.
Taeylor is a great example of what any of us can do, instead of dwelling on that which plagues us. Thank you Taeylor  for sharing that with us.

[Philippe Cordier]

DS can be a meaningful part of one's life.  In my experience, at times it has been one of the most important aspects of my life, and at other times less so - but it's always there in the background.  Interestingly, this has been the case both during highs and lows (employment, unemployment, etc.) - in other words, it's not just something to desperately cling to when life isn't so great.  How significant DS is often relates to the issue of time - illness, unemployment, and the like can mean one has more available time to devote to watching and discussing the series.

I've always wanted to increase the visibility of DS, too, with new movies and series.  But I'm thinking less that way now.  For many of us, DS was a special time during our childhoods that we can never go back to (unless we discover a stairway through time, or if the I-Ching really would work as it did for Barnabas ... ).  New versions will be something different from the version that has been part of our formative years.  In some ways, I'd like to keep that protected, safe, personal - for myself and for the devoted DS community.  I don't know that I'd like to see something that important and personal suddenly become faddish and popular all over again.  I'm satisfied with keeping DS a relatively small "sect," if you will  .

BTW, moderators, I absolutely love the new (?) look of the board - especially the color scheme an the lightning over Collinwood.

I've moved again and won't have my own Internet access for a while - but today I happily discovered that my apartment complex has a "business" center with free computer and web access!

Vlad

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I absolutely love the new (?) look of the board - especially the color scheme

It's fairly new - it's only been around since the 15th. And I'm happy you like it. 

the lightning over Collinwood.

Recycled/reworked from the Lightning theme that didn't work with IE, unfortunately.

today I happily discovered that my apartment complex has a "business" center with free computer and web access!

Excellent.


And as far as the actual point of this topic goes, I'm very happy that the forum can sometimes help to provide not just a temporary oasis from some of life's problems, but a place to celebrate DS and share our enjoyment of it. 

[JS]

I also would like to add that I love the new look of this board. I hope that I don't hurt anyone's feelings but that old brown look was not very attractive. That is just my opinion.

[Taeylor Collins]

Thanks to everyone for their nice comments as I appreciate them.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I hope that I don't hurt anyone's feelings but that old brown look was not very attractive.

Don't worry - saying that doesn't hurt my feelings because I didn't design it.    After we discovered that the Lightning theme worked with every browser except IE (), I simply took that theme directly from the choices that were readily available from SMF's site. It was about the only one that worked that also seemed compatible with DS. But because some of the design was questionable (to say the least    ), I did make a few changes that were documented on the Testing board at the time, but they were minor. And from the outset that theme was intended to be temporary - but it took me much longer than I might have hoped to get around to designing something new. That was mostly because I wanted any new theme design to be able to be used with SMF 2.0 as well as SMF 1.1.5 (our current system) so that the forum wouldn't have to begin from scratch when we upgrade once a perfected version of SMF 2.0 is released.

[Philippe Cordier]

I also would like to add that I love the new look of this board. I hope that I don't hurt anyone's feelings but that old brown look was not very attractive.

I found the last couple of color schemes difficult to read because of the dark colors and too much contrast with the bright letters.  The new color scheme is much easier on the eyes it's actually soothing when viewing the screen!  The blue scheme relates well to DS, too - it reminds me of the opening credits with the crashing waves!

I hope Taeylor will experience improvement in health.  I haven't been to the forum much in the last year or so and I haven't read any of your posts, but it's good to have people here who really care about the show.  Appearing to be a "fan" of an old TV show is not always going to impress others -- so it's good to find a community like this where people do share the same interest.

Being in a new location now where I don't know anyone makes this forum a comfortable place to return.  As I've entered a new phase in my life, I've also found I've outgrown my old forum name, "Vlad."  I've wanted to change it for a couple of years but my recent relocation and beginning a new chapter in my life seemed a good reason to finally follow through.  I've chosen the first name of "Philippe" in memory of my great (8th) grandfather in my paternal line.  And "Cordier" is similar to an old form of his (my) family name. 

It's really going to seem strange posting with a different onscreen identity, but the new name seems more appropriate now.

- Philippe Cordier (formerly "Vlad")

[Taeylor Collins]

Thank you Phillipe and good luck on this new chapter in your life. I wish you Love and Light.  And welcome back to the boards!!

IF I can win a medical card then I can get on the road to recovery. I just cannot afford any surgeries without insurance or epidurals as they are about 2k a treatment which one needs every three months to stop the back pain. And the surgery I require is about a 30 thousand dollar surgery. I worked most all of my life from the time I was 14 until I was 29 and I always thought if you got hurt the government helped. I thought that is why we payed taxes!   Boy was I naive! I don't want to get into all the health care politics and government so I will stop there.  I appreciate everyone's well wishes and just wanted everyone to know how much the board and the friendly people here have helped my psyche in the last few months.

Pretty cool about your name since it was used on DS as well.

Happy posting!

[Teresa]

Good to hear from you Philippe~
I wish you the best of luck and happiness in this new phase of your life and hope to see you post soon again.
Love Teresa

[Annie]

Hi Taeylor how beautifully put i'm glad to know you as a dear friend .  You take care ..
                          Love Anne 

[Taeylor Collins]

Thank you dear Annie! 

[Julianka7]

Best wishes to you Taeylor! I hope you get the medical care you need and
a return to good health.

[Taeylor Collins]

Thanks Julianka7~~btw I love Julianka!! I am just overwhelmed by everyone's kindness and just dropping by for a minute to send well wishes.  I have felt better this week and maybe its all this good energy coming by way. Thanks doll!

Taeylor