My Prince 5 Year Online Anniversary

This is to you..,.everybody

This is almost late. I don’t know how to write this and I’ve tried a few times. It never got the feel and it was hard. Still is.This summer-June/July actually is/was my 5 year anniversary being on the net. More specifically being in the net Prince community. I’ve “been around the world and I-I -I.”-Lisa Stansfield). Prince sites, Prince newsgroups, Prince mailing lists. Been a part and a bane to them all. The first time was reading Hammers page before having my own pc and then later it was all over. I had learned a lot of things from the net Prince community. I learned about the man in depth-the music in depth-the audience/fans in depth and I must say it has been a long strange trip (forgive me for that saying ). I remember being jazzed because someone on amp had printed the Lear nursery rhyme that Sheila E trans- Missisippi rapped on Beautiful Night. That alone made the experience worth it. And that was years ago. The thing of it is, is that it became more than just about Prince. It was the community that had me after all.

Several times there have been beefs, loves, laughter, boots, boas, and bootlegs. All under the music of the cool ruler. I remember lurking and watching certain happenings and being baffled and appalled by it all. Then all of a sudden one day I’m knee deep in it. This is not my beautiful office...this is not my computer...this is not my beautiful home, how did I get here?-Talking Heads… And oh to be involved. Some places were walking on the edge…the wild side..”Danger! watch yourself!”-Mystikal..some places were home and comforting “when I think of home”-Stephanie Mills…..some places were like family and some places were just bus stops to the next joint or while one joint was off. I’ve met a bevy of folks online and some turned out sour, some turned out taking me higher, and some put scratches (and hatchets lol) on my back which is always cool. With all the ups and downs I wouldn’t trade it in.

Funny thing is that with each new place in the Prince journey online has taken me from one place to the next to npgmc finally lol…seems like it ends there…no more runnin. “so this is where it ends-TGRES”. Like it’s a final stopping point. It’s the original owners pool so to speak. The purple banana ends there—it aint perfect but its official. I’ve been to many places and I left them or they left me...but there’s nowhere left to run anymore. That’s where the road ends seemingly.


I’ve made friends and enemies…but its like in real time almost. Sometimes the written word takes or gives the wrong meaning and so does other communication.

For the most part in some places I’ve been and learned to survive, it seems as if I’ve brought those survival tactics along with me wherever I ended up net-living…clouding my own personal vision and the way I actually am. I finally realize that sometimes you don’t have to bring all the bad juice along with you. I’m human...I’ve failed time again but at least I’ve learned. I’ve written some weird or goofy stuff over the years (and this is another) but Id never take it back. Id like to thank me missus for the strength of putting up with all this and being there for me allowing me to go that far with things and being the rock to reel me back in…
. Thanks to the AOL chat room Townsquare PP and all the folks I met there at that time—one of my first Prince net discoveries...I went in saying “I found you—I finally found you” like a doofus meaning a place where there were other Prince fans…but why were they not talking about Prince music ..I’d throw in a “my fav Prince song is” and they’d continue their convo...thanks for teaching me about the culture of chat and all it entails…which is not only focusing on Prince

Thanks to aol Prince message board for their close knit vibe and making me fel welcomed and part of it

Thank you to amp for raising me and teaching me the ways of the force like a jedi, like my father AMP taught me I could be critical and to appreciate some releases that Id never reconsidered. It also increased my rock n roll and elevated my game…don’t ask why but it just did...it also took me down but oh what a fall…falling can be sexy and feel very good…also made me get back up again…day after day night after night after…

The Prince Org taught me about family and friendship. Made me feel I was actually home and comfortable…I took my shoes off and went in the refridge like nobody’s business...and its appreciated.

.at NPGMC with all the bannings, badgering, moderation etc..I somehow was told that I was “safe” here...and that’s fitting in a way. I like a place where I can come where everyone knows your name and you can sit right down with no worries…clubbin and going to the edge and looking down gets old after a while and sometimes you just want to house party it up with some close friends, movies and a bit of drink. Here is where that is. Just don’t go getting drunk actin a fool or you will get served and so be it. Thanks for the safety (net).

All places have been home to me of some sort…and they made me also realize that “home is where the hurt is” as well. I’ve loved laughed hurt hoped hated hemmed and hawed…and the Prince music has been a part of it each day...and more importantly the prince fans…its you that have also kept me hanging on and hurting and lovin and hatin and thrivin…thanks to each and every one of you who have crossed my path and who will cross my path—or cross net wires in the future. I also apologize, am thankful, and wouldn’t change a thing for the past, the present, or what I will do in the future. The purple passion is strong and got me through 5 years on the net in this royal court of purple music. After 5 years this summer…I salute you. (I feel like singing “My Way” LOL)

Well ain't that somethin'. Happy fuckin' anniversary Rasta!

PS: I still won't apologize!
[This message was edited Sun Aug 24 16:52:00 PDT 2003 by EvilSkittle]

hey dude

heard a bit a about u

:PARTY: Happy Anniversary RD! :HIGHFIVE:

i miss you.

rd!!! wow...i just celebrated my 4th anniversary of bein in the online prince communities, i honestly thought you'd been around for much much much longer than i have (like since the days of the ppml)!!

congratulations on the 5 years, man...

you stayed with the topic!!!

rdhull said:[quote]My Prince 5 Year Online Anniversary

Christ...he's back

Rd, you've got a great heart and a great ability to write with it in an almost entirely uncensored way.

You're a reader's dream and an editor's nightmare.

Happy 5th.

Brendan

Rdhull You did a good job saying what you had to say

welcome home!


I missed ya

Ain't love grand?

I remember him when he was just
a cyberspace pup, taking his baby steps.

Now he's ornery and unabashedly uninhibited.

One out of two ain't bad. I've taught him well.

I've crossed him, he's crossed me, but when someone
else crossed either one of us the other jumped
to deefense.

In some ways he's still a pup. I, after all, have
senority in this bloody cyberspace hood - yet,
he's older than me.






He gon' be awright.

Glad to see you round these parts, RD. You were sorely missed. I hope you stay.

Welcome back, dude.

welcome back, gangsta

stay true

Rd once told me that I was gon' look for the ladder?! I didn't even quite realise it at the time but upon my return, he was gone. I missed him, and his big heart (not to mention his goofy ways) but I never forgot. I never forgot how his knees gave way at the end of his first viewing of the Purple Rain movie. The brotha couldn't even dance he was so depressed. I never forgot how he taught me about the 'schlamm be dook be dook' sound effects of the Linn. Yeah, I didn't know it was was and still don't really. I never forgot how he publicly apologised to the Lovesexy and ATWIAD albums. I guess you could say we wrestled like brothers, always bringing the best out of each other. But most of all, I never forgot that cursed baton he gave me. Mark my words, I am gonna hit you with it one of these days. And as you can tell, I never forget LOL!

Rd Anj

RD, glad 2 see you back my brotha