I have said many times that our Forum is made up of some wonderful people who contribute so much to our hobby through their knowledge and experience. For me personally, O-Gauge model railroading would not be the same without this Forum and its members I have gotten to know.
Recently my path crossed very unexpectedly with another Forum member who because of an event that occurred almost three decades ago, we have gotten to know one another much better. In order to protect this individual’s privacy and more importantly to allow him to fulfill a promise he made, I cannot at this time go into the details of this event, but I can share with you that it was one of the most memorable days in my life. Someday, when he can, he assures me that he will tell you about his experiences that I know will be of interest to all of you because he has a remarkable background and trains are a part of it. It is mind boggling to me that by happenstance (and only because of this Forum) I found this individual and certain facts (I previously was totally unaware of) he shared with me that made this special event even more important and his revelations will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Why am I sharing this with you when I cannot reveal all of the facts? First I was shaken to my roots in a good way with what this individual told me and because this would have never happened were it not for this Forum, I wanted to share as much as I could with you, even though I had to be vague. Secondly, there are some very important people in Forumland who have done some very remarkable things in their life but we only get to see one side of them through their activity on this Forum. When you think about the quality of the information that is continually presented on this Forum, it makes sense that we are made of some very special people. I consider myself very privileged in having the opportunity to get to know better one of these special people who collectively make us all great.
Have any of you had the opportunity to get to know through this Forum a member who may have had a very positive impact on your life? I am sure what you have to say would be fascinating to all of us.
