One of the more popular links in our Motorcycle Forums & Mailing Lists section is Two-Wheeled Texans. The site is a resource for motorcycling in Texas. Street, off-road, et cetera. The forum has been online for 10 years now- a virtual eternity by Internet standards!
Earlier this week I received a wonderful 10th anniversary email from TWT founder, Scott Friday (or as he is known on the forums: Tourmeister). Scott's email struck a chord with me. Not because I'm an avid user of his forum- I'm not. Being from Oklahoma I mostly "lurk" whenever a trip south of the Red River happens to be in the works. What caught my attention was his rationale for putting all the time, trouble and money into his online community.
As a fellow web tycoon (lower case intended) I know just how thankless the late nights and long hours can be. No matter the topic- any blog, website or forum is a time consuming task. Complaints and hackers are often more plentiful than praise. That's why I share his letter below. Hopefully it might be an inspiration to more of you bloggers, webmaster and tycoons out there who may be asking yourself, "Is this really worth my time?"
Howdy,
Today marks the 10th anniversary since the beginning of the Two Wheeled Texans (TWT) forum. As I get older, it never ceases to amaze me how ten years ago can feel like it was another lifetime and yet simultaneously feel like the years slipped away almost in an instant... I think for many of us, the latter feeling gives us pause to consider what is really important in our lives. After all, if ten years can slip away so easily, how long could another 30-40 years take...? TWT was birthed in one such pause, a pause where I stopped to really think about what I was doing with my time and whether I was making good use of it...
Such a pause might lead some off on a crusade to change the world in an effort to "make the most of their time." Well... I've always had a strong lazy streak and the world is a big place. Rather than set out to change the world, I thought I'd just work on a tiny little corner of it and see what might happen. A few years before starting TWT, I discovered the joys of motorcycle riding. In the years before that, I had really begun to understand the value of having quality relationships in my life. So I thought I might combine these two aspects of my life and try to create an online community of riders where the pursuit of quality relationships would be a guiding principle in how the site would be managed.
Sitting here, reflecting on the last ten years, good and bad, I feel pretty good. I have had many unforgettable experiences. You might be inclined to think that what made them so unforgettable were incredible roads, spectacular scenery, riding all manner of bikes, and of course good food. You would be wrong. It has been the people. Sure, all those other things have been great on occasion, but what I have really come to treasure are my experiences with the people I've met through the site. I eagerly await the next ride, the next trip, the next get together, the next maintenance day, etc,... because of the people.
Without seeking it, I find I have been blessed beyond measure and in ways I never would have imagined by the decision to start TWT. I haven't changed the world because it's not my job to change the world. My job is to love the individuals in my life as well as I can, which means doing what is best for the relationships even when it might not be what I want to do or feel like doing. I figure if I can manage that, and perhaps motivate a few others to do the same, the world will take care of itself. I don't need to beat it into submission to make it fit my view of how things "ought to be".
About a year and a half ago I got an unexpected hand written note from my Dad. He's in his early 70's. The note was written as part of a class he was doing at his church. The assignment was to write a "Last note" to your children, presumably to give them the benefit of a lifetime of accumulated wisdom. Here is what it said:
Relationships are your only true treasures,relation with God, others and yourself.
Be active in a faith community.
Take time to enrich your life and allow yourblessings to bless others.
Have an open mind, open heart, and open door.
Health and happiness are important and happinesscomes through your relationships with family andothers.
Be true, be faithful, have integrity and hope.
May God bless you in all your endeavors.
I have been blessed with a great Dad. He lives what he wrote above and has modeled it for me my entire life. Like he said, I should be seeking to share the fruit of that blessing with others. I don't know what the next ten, twenty, or more years hold for me. I hope to be able to keep TWT going for many more years in the hopes that in doing so others might be blessed in some way through their experiences with the community.
It's easy just to interact with people on a forum. But if you really want to be blessed, get out and meet the people. Ride with them. Eat with them. Listen to them. Share with them. Value them not because of what they might be able to do for you or because they think like you, but simply because they are valuable. That will change the world... ;-)
— Scott "Tourmeister" Friday
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