Four years.

[WiskersThCatfish]

Hey.

Yeah. Hey.

Do you know what happened to me today?

Today I went on a nostalgia trip.

I don't remember the last time I posted in this forum. It was probably more then a year ago, and I know for sure that it's been more then a couple years since I did any kind of regular posting. If it weren't for some sort of zany internet honor-system, I couldn't really even be considered part of this community anymore; but here I am, I can just come here and talk to you guys like I never left.

Digression aside, I originally came here to find an old thread I started so long ago and I ended up spending an hour and a half flipping through the archives, reading old names, and seeing old friends. When I look at my old threads and posts, and how I acted with you all, and how happy I seemed, it struck up a lot in me. I started thinking of the iceberg that is my life in the ATG, and it really is like that metaphorical iceberg; if you were to look at me, and then look at this community, you might not notice what one has to do with the other. But the truth under the water is that this place, and you people have changed me so colossally, You were not a passing footnote on my life. Five years, one fifth of my entire life at this point, saw me glued to a computer at every possible convenience (and sometimes despite inconvenience), chatting away for hours and hours. At times in my life many of you were the only people I could consider to be my friends, and when I was in trouble, or when I needed to find a way to forget about the bad things in my life you guys would help me through it, often without ever knowing what was wrong.

And yeah, there were even some dark times. I'm sure a lot of you remember an incident or two. There were fights to be broken up, and relationships rising and falling, jealousy issues. I found myself longing for what seemed like a long-dead time where we weren't all trying to hump each other into a blind stupor, and just started resenting what the ATG had become. Yeah, not all of my years here were very good, and yet I just wanna point out some of you guys kept your smilers turned on bright and shiny around me despite the disdainful guy I had turned into. Others of you didn't take my s**t. I commend all of you for dealing with me. I don't like what I then was; though I still think I'm pretty jaded from those times, I feel sorry that I misdirected so much of my anger on some of the people here, and the community as a whole.

But this isn't about apologies, it's not even really about nostalgia. The point is that so much good has come from this place, even despite that there was some bad. I mean a prime example is where I'm sitting right now. Because of the ATG, I am sitting in my own room, in my own apartment, that I share with another ATGer. If I had never been a part of this guild, I would probably still be living at home. So is this place a very big part of my life anymore? Naw. But I thank O N Y X above for the privilege of having me here. I truly could not be as happy if I hadn't had the experience in my life.

So that's what I think. What do you guys think?  

[Xikrai the Risen]

My time with this guild is a total blur at this point. But I will note it's the only thing that's kept me on this site this long. While it is kinda dead and many have come and gone. It still gets my attention from time to time and I guess I care just enough at this point to keep you guys updated on where I am. It's nice to see others do the same too. Cause while I don't know much about many of you and nor you me it is nice to see people post. It's just nice to see 'Hey, they're still alive and kickin' Otherwise you just don't know, especially because I don't keep up with any of you on Facebook anymore.

So, until I fade away into not posting anymore. Still pretty glad for this little nook of gaia.

PS. Sorry if none of what I said makes sense. I just let the words come from my head directly to the screen with no proof reading.  

[Celestial Burden]

I pretty much literally grew up in the ATG. I joined the guild in sixth grade, and now am In my second semester at University.n The people here and the conversations I had most definitely shaped me. The ATG became a home for me, and the people in it were a family of sort.

No matter how dysfuntional that family got, and it certainly did several times, there was always at least one person willing to talk to me. When I watched the house across the street burn down and the body carried out of it on my birthday, I did not turn to my "real" friends or family, but instead came to the ATG with all of the anger, confusion and general shock that I had.

I came to the ATG to have fun, to forget what was going on at home, to escape. And I came to the ATG for support, and to listen and be there for others at the same time. I came to talk about video games and politics, and have conversations composed of nothing but nonsense. I met some of my closest friends here and have so many fond memories.

So, in short, the ATG means everything to me. Family, friends, safety, the entire emotional spectrum.  

[invisible-weirdo]

I obviously haven't been here as long as a lot of you though I still feel a pretty damn strong connection to this guild. When I joined and actively started posting was around the time I first started college, probably just past the ATG's heyday (I remember being a little intimidated at first since you all knew each other so well). A lot of you have left since then but it's heartwarming to see so many still here (and it's always great to see an old face/name pop up and start posting like they never left). I can't say that the ATG changed my life as much as it did for some of you, but the friends that I've made here are definitely what keeps me on Gaia these days.  

[Lil_Wyvy2]

Those of u I have met in the ATT will ALWAYS be my beloved guildies, and dear friends.  

[Sanzoskitsune]

I actually remember joining the ATG when I had like.. nothing going on in my life, not really anyway. I made so many good friends here and I feel so bad that I haven't always kept in contact with you. My personal life got so much better but that doesn't mean I didn't miss you guys so much. I missed being silly and chatting with all of you and knowing all my friends were here to talk with whenever I needed. I love you guys in all the squishy smooshy feelingy way that it means. Sorry I've been away so long but I am so working on coming back.  

[Bassios]

I've been here... god... how long now? I don't even remember when I joined the ATG. It's gotta be five years.

I can't thank everyone here enough. There's a lot of stuff I've told you guys, and a lot more I've kept to myself. I've been genuinely blessed to know all of you. You guys have always been the first that I've turned to when something's happened. You've always been there when I've been upset. And you've kept me alive. I'm not being all dramatic with that one, there have been a few times I've genuinely considered committing suicide, but you've all helped me through it all.

I've made some amazing friends here, had my share of ups and downs and come out of it all a better person thanks to all of you.

I love you all, you're all always welcome in my life and my heart.

 

[Jafthasleftthebuilding]

Plus, the ATG is everywhere nowadays. Minecraft + ATG = fun times.  

[Kalstolyn]

I don't think any of us would be who we are today if it weren't for the interesting, silly, heated, pointless, important, nerdy, inane conversations we've had with each other and the bonds forged in the fiery furnace of prolonged social contact. Those of us who have been around for a while and who were at one point deeply involved in the guild can probably all say that ATGers were there for us and helped us through some rough patches in our lives.

Part of me does pine for the ATG of yore, but a much bigger part of me is sadly too exhausted and lazy to come post interesting threads etc. anymore. In any case, I enjoy chillin like a villain in the IRC and keeping up with many of you on other social networks and such.  

[WiskersThCatfish]

Wow, see, when I wrote up this thread, I questioned who would post if anybody. When I saw that only eight people had replied, I was a little underwhelmed, but after I opened up the thread and saw so many names I know so well, it felt pretty good.

I noticed a few of you guys apologizing for not being around, or pointing out how you might not post as much, and I just want to say, don't even sweat it. No matter how many times you leave and come back, I'm sure there's going to be a few familiar faces here to welcome you.

And Xik, I saw that photo of you and that baller-a** plane, you seriously flying that? I assumed from your tumblr posts you were doing jets or something.  

[AlcoholicPancake]

Log in > See post from Jim > s**t brix in surprise.

Seeing posts from all the people in here, crazy seeing so many familiar faces. Been here 5 or 6 years now, and I still try to check in every couple of days. ( However, just to lurk. I never have anything interesting to say really :/ ) However, I remember starting out and meeting all the people in here and thinking to myself how much you guys were probably going to hate me due to immaturity and stupidity on my part. I was partly right, mostly wrong.

As much as it brings me down to see the ATG hit a slower note, it does kind of reassure me in a bit. A lot of people have grown up, gotten lives, and gotten busy doing stuff. If it continued on like it used to then we'd all be pale basement dwellers with nothing interesting happening in our offline lives.

Still great seeing posts and updates from everyone though biggrin  

[[ Terra ]]

It's good to see you again Jimmy. I try to check in here every few days but am definitely guilty of rarely posting. This is the only part of Gaia I've visited for a very long time. I mostly try to pop into the chat and of course any of you guys are welcome to add me on facebook or follow me on Twitter.

It's understandable that the guild has grown so quiet. Many members have grown up and moved on. In some ways I prefer this to if a whole bunch of new people came in and kept this space alive with posts. To me the ATG is this group of people who formed this quirky bond online. It goes beyond this corner of Gaia and has spilled over into irc, facebook, twitter, minecraft, and even real life.To fill this page with new people would be to create someone else's ATG. We're not all as active or as present as we used to be but the ATG still holds a special place in my heart. I have memories and experiences with you guys just as treasured as any real life ones. Some of them of drama but most of them of fun and creativity.  

[Xikrai the Risen]

WiskersThCatfish

And Xik, I saw that photo of you and that baller-a** plane, you seriously flying that? I assumed from your tumblr posts you were doing jets or something.

Haha yeah, I am flying that for know. Hopefully in a couple months I will be moving onto helicopters. Got a couple months left of this stage of flight school. Should be a good time.

Definitely nice to see who came out of the wood work because this thread. Pretty much all people that helped make the ATG, the ATG for me. I must admit I've tried to keep everyone here a little distanced but this guild really is a pretty decent landmark in my life.  

[WiskersThCatfish]

I think we all have varying degrees of flashing back and forth between real life and an internet persona. I find this place hard to define sometimes, it's hard to tell people that I met my roommate though a thing called a 'Guild' on a anime forum, and have them still take me seriously. It's tough to convince others that you can have meaningful and interesting relationships like we've all had through this medium, so it's easy for me to see why we've been migrating away as we've been getting older.

Terra, Pancake, good to see you guys too. cheese_whine  

[Lobo-chan]

Oh gosh, I can't even remember how long it's been since I joined the ATG. Over 5 years, definitely. I still remember bits of my first conversation on here, which I believe involved Jaft and... probably you, Jimmy. You guys were terrible xp

But yeah. In some ways I guess I grew up in here. The ATG is where a lot of my friends were, and until going to nerd school? I didn't have many "real" friends. When I was deciding whether to try to get into nerd school or not, it was fellow guildies that I ended up exploding my brain all over. Same for deciding what college to go to lol

I'm on less now because my life consists of time consuming academia, but... Eh, that's life. But you guys have been there for me through some tough times, and I've had lots of fun here heart